


Someone to Care For

by bumbum_ittybitty



Series: A Rough Life [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Business AU, Jealousy, M/M, Modern AU, compassion - Freeform, future self-harm, heterochomia!eren, lots of fluff with good smut, mentions of past rape/non-con, possessive behavior?, possible tw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-29
Updated: 2015-01-12
Packaged: 2018-03-04 03:26:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2907575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bumbum_ittybitty/pseuds/bumbum_ittybitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi, a successful executive in the business world, becomes entranced by the young intern Eren Jaeger, who he later finds is a homeless college student. After taking him in, he becomes more and more attached to the boy, and begins to craft the sort of life he knows Eren deserves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nowehere to Go?

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I absolutely LOVE a compassionate Levi, but I also like a jealous, possessive Levi. Also this is pretty fluffy because Levi would totally be the guy who'd take in an abandoned Eren.

The sun was shining far too bright for my tastes but the asswipe who was running the meeting was very opposed to drawing back the curtains, or even just lowering the blinds. Not that I was surprised; these manager types always assumed that if you run a meeting, you are the highest ranked executive in the room. Anyone else would probably have barged up to him, demanding him to give him the respect a vice president deserved. But that would be very loud, and hearing his nasally voice was torture enough.

As I left the Carter Building, a large yet very dingy office complex two blocks from my own Lilley Building, I noticed that there was nearly no foot traffic. Upon checking my watch and confirming it to be almost five o'clock, I elected to go back and maybe finish up the report for the meeting I'd just attended rather than going home. No one would be bothering me after five, as nearly anyone who ranked high enough to even speak to me would have left for the weekend.

The shiny marble floors of the foyer were too bright against the setting sun, but just as that thought crossed my mind Petra, the small receptionist, clicked the electronic switch to boost the tint, just as she did every day at five. She smiled and informed me that Erwin had left—not that I cared—and that the new intern was upstairs on my floor.

“He shouldn't bother you, extremely shy, you see,” she said in her quiet, soft voice. I liked Petra; she never yelled, never spoke too fast, and always knew when to stop talking. I nodded to her advice and went to the elevator, glad that no one was there. 

New intern, huh? I remembered Zoe saying something about a college kid running our papers from building to building across the Business District; I wonder if I could send him to those shitty meetings in my place. As I reached the thirty fifth floor, my floor, I walked down the plush office carpeting, my office door in my sights. I heard a small shuffle behind me, and though I didn't stop right away, I did when I heard a small curse followed by a loud bang.

A too-large boy sat on the ground, buried under what appeared to be boxes of ink cartridges. He rubbed his head, apparently he smacked it against the ground, and upon seeing me, scurried to gather up his boxes and continue to the printing venue. I turned and went back to my office, curious as to the scene I'd seen.

He was about five foot eleven, maybe six feet tall. He had the sort of shaggy brown hair you'd assume a child would have, but considering he wore a starched collared shirt and tie, I doubt he would let his hair be like that if he had control over it. From what I saw, he had blue eyes. He was incredibly thin, yet seemed to be carrying those boxes with ease; I assumed he'd tripped over his big feet. 

As the clock ticked closer to six, and then finally dinged on seven o'clock, I powered off my computer, ejected my hard drive, and packed up my briefcase. The sun was gone from the sky, and I expected to leave just as Petra was passing the keys over to the night manager. To my surprise, I walked out to see the intern, sitting cross-legged by the printers, staring intently at the large printer before him. I walked up behind him, careful to be quiet, and observed. He held a cartridge in his hand, and I noticed then that he was shaking. 

“You alright kid?” I finally asked. He cursed aloud and dropped the cartridge, turning to see me. To my surprise, I was wrong about his eye color. They were more green than blue, and I did notice that his left eye looked a bit more vivid, but I didn't really care. 

“I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to get in the way,” he said, very softly. I could tell he was whispering, but didn't mind much. 

“You need help, huh?” I asked. He was silent, but nodded. I took a cartridge from the box and pulled the plastic slips off before squeezing the tabs and shoving it into the ink compartment. He stared incredulously, and then smacked himself roughly in the face.

“Shit,” he said, almost too quiet for me to hear. “I'm so sorry, sir,” he groaned as he began working incredibly fast. I spied around him, and found his cell phone sprawled on the floor, a wikiHow article on installing ink cartridges bright on the screen.

“It's your first day so I'll chalk it up to nerves. But the office is going to close soon, you ought to head home.” I turned, but he remained seated as he gathered the empty boxes.

“I missed the train, so I'm going to wait for the next one,” he said very calmly. I stopped, and felt a horrible feeling in my stomach. No, I thought to myself, I'm not taking care of this grown brat.

“Where do you live?” I asked, my own brain yelling at me not to. He made eye contact with me, and I noticed his odd eye again. 

“Maria,” he said after a while. “It's okay, I think a late train runs at eight thirty.” I stared at him, and groaned softly.

“C'mon,” I said curtly. “I'll take you home.” He stared blankly for a second, and then jumped to his feet and ran towards the back wall, were the trash chute was. I headed for the elevator, and just as I stepped in, I heard the loud bangs of the boxes falling to the dumpsters, and then he was in the elevator, not even out of breath. But his chest did rise a bit more than it did before.

The ride down was awkward. I asked for his name, and he just said Jaeger. I asked for his first name, and reluctantly, said it was Eren in a quiet whisper. Once we came outside, I led him towards the parking garage, and to my shining black Lexus parked in its designated spot by the entrance. His eyes grew large when he saw the placard above my car.

“Oh my god, I didn't realize it was you, Mr. Levi, I'm so sorry,” he stopped dead by the hood of my car, and as I opened the door, I snapped my fingers.

“Get in before I leave.” I slid into the leather seat, and after a few seconds, Eren crept in slowly, making sure to duck his head before he flopped into the passenger seat. Once he shut his door, I turned on the almost silent engine, and drove out into the still busy streets. He seemed stressed just sitting in my car, and his fingers began tapping unevenly on his knee. “You alright?” I finally asked as we stopped at the light. He looked at me and swallowed hard before stuttering an answer.

“It's just, I don't think my mum and dad are home.” He spoke very slowly, and I could tell that  
he was hiding something. 

“You have a key, don't you?” I asked. He shook his head slightly, and immediately turned forward again. 

“No, but it's alright.” He didn't say anything else after that, and I could feel my stomach turning. No, Levi. You can't take in stray minors. “Mum and dad tend to leave a lot, but now that I'm eighteen, I'll be okay.”

Fuck. My hands tightened around the wheel. It's not like I made a habit of taking in young boys, but as this one sat in my car, nervous about just going home, I couldn't help it. But I couldn't move too fast. I elected on a plan; if his parents were home, I'd leave him there. If I happened across a dark house, however, I'd let him stay at my place.

“Why don't we see if they're home, if not I'll see what I can do.” I said plainly. He seemed to pep up a bit, hell he even smiled. I took that with pride; this kid was killing me. Normally, I hated dealing with just about anyone, and though this kid was still a pain in my ass—I'd wanted a nice evening alone—I felt as though if I didn't help him, I'd be out at two in the morning hunting him down. So as we headed south, in the exact opposite direction of my apartment, I hoped more and more strongly that we'd drive up to an empty house.

About half way into Maria, however, he began to shake. I eyed him from my peripherals, and found that his hands were digging into his arms, deep enough to cause the skin to turn red. I pulled off the highway and into a gas station, and clicked the engine off. 

“What's wrong?” I asked. He inhaled sharply and by the sound of his exhale, I thought he was about to cry. “You're a college student, yeah? You live in a dorm, or at home; you have to live somewhere.”

“I...” he stammered, and I say the dim glimmer of tears in his wide eyes. “I don't. I got into a university in Rose with my grades, and they offered me nothing but tuition. Room, board, books, supplies, all on me. But, well, my mum and dad disowned me at seventeen, and I lived with a friend until I graduated high school. So for the past three months, I've been couch hopping. My luck with that just ran out, however.” He said all of this very calmly, and I assumed he was pacing himself so that he would not cry. I stared at him for a while, and for the first time in a very, very long time, I felt a deep sensation of a very pesky emotion: pity. Eren seemed to see this in me, and held up his hands to open the door.

“Mr. Levi, I appreciate your concern for me, and thank you so much for driving me out here. I'm sorry I brought you so far... I can catch a bus here.”

“And go where?” I snapped. He jumped at my suddenly loud voice, and I clicked the door lock button to keep him from trying to leave. “Kid, you don't know me, so I'll just let you know that I don't like sniveling brats, and I don't like shitty babies. I'm hoping I can consider you an adult, and you'll wipe your fucking face and be straight with me; do you have a place to sleep tonight?”

“No,” he said, his head hanging down in shame. 

“Then that's that,” I hopped out of the car, taking care to keep the door locked, and put twenty dollars worth of gas in my car. I peeked into the windshield and found that Eren was sitting with his hands still in his lap, and when a bright light shone, I noticed he received a call. He wasn't quiet now, and spoke with a weak voice into the receiver.

“I can give it back at school Monday, I'm sorry, I missed the bus. If you want I can meet you tomorrow?” A few seconds of silence followed, and though the gas had stopped, I waited to hear the rest. “How about at the coffee shop by North Stree—,” he cut off abruptly, and the yelling on the other end was loud enough for me to hear it. I placed the gas nozzle back into the pump and jumped into the car so quick, Eren didn't have enough time to hang up before I grabbed it.

“Who is this?” I demanded. The angry male voice on the phone immediately quelled when my much deeper voice was heard. 

“Uh, a friend of Eren's. This is my phone you're talking on, and I want it back. I let him borrow it.”

“Tell you what, I'll have my secretary deliver it to you first thing tomorrow morning.” I said before hanging up and tossing it back into Eren's lap. He stared at me with a pale face, his mouth trying to speak, though now sounds escaped.

“Mr. Levi, I—,” he tried, but I raised a hand.

“Eren, I don't know why,” I made eye contact, and he shivered into silence, “but I am going to take care of you for a while. So be a good, quiet boy, and just let me.” He nodded and turned the borrowed phone off, placing it back in his pocket as I headed back towards Rose.


	2. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi brings Eren to his temporary home in his upscale apartment, and decides to tease the boy a bit before accepting him into his hospitality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little short chapter, with a hint of the smut to come. Slightly dub-con, you'll see.

My apartment complex was one of the tallest in all of Rose, and I had chosen to live in the nicest neighborhood in Rose rather than a sub-par one in Sina. Granted I could live in nearly any estate there, but those large mansion homes were too big, and frankly, it was just a status symbol. Eren's eyes grew large yet again as we parked in a single concrete stall, with my name on it. As we went to the elevator, he stood very sheepishly. He was about ten or eleven centimeters taller than me, but he still had a gawky, childing look to him, especially when the doors opened and we were on the top floor, facing the long hallway that led to my doorway. 

“You live in a penthouse...?” he stuttered as I pulled out the key for the shining brass lock. I nodded as I opened the door, greeted by the subtle scent of linen radiating from my home. He clomped in, and to my surprise, immediately took off his shoes and held them in his hands. His socks were stark white, as if they'd been washed after every wear. “Mr. Levi, let me say that this place,” he glanced up at the second floor, visible from the foyer, “is utterly beautiful.” The pure awe and appreciation in his voice let me know that it wasn't bullshit, and I dropped my own shoes in the closet before heading to the stairs. The large ceiling to floor windows allowed a beautiful view of Rose, most likely the prettiest of the three Big Cities, shining with nightlife, and Eren stared with pure awe as we rose to the second floor. 

I led him to my guest bedroom, which was the first door on the second level, and instructed him that as long as he was clean, he'd be fine. He thanked me with a broken voice, and as I retreated to my own bedroom, I felt a pang in my heart. This kid... he seemed like the type who'd be prideful, if he had anything to be prideful of. I wanted to ask more about his family, but I figured I'd give it a few days.

Whoa.

Wait, what was I doing? I couldn't just take in someone's kid, hell I hadn't even known him for more than two hours. He was an adult now, but that didn't make it right. All I could think of was how I could help him; I'd take him to school, or to work, feed him, clothe him, and then I realized why I was suddenly feeling so damn paternal.

I was thirty three years old. I had had no love interests in four years, and had no family to speak of. That boy down the hall had obviously struck some odd, long forgotten chord in me, and now, I was helpless to it. Could I bring myself to take him in? Or, more importantly, would he even be interested in staying here? When I heard my watch tick on nine o'clock, however, I elected to ignore the future and simply indulge myself in the now.

“Eren!” I called as I tore off my tie and went to my closet for a blazer. He came speeding to my doorway, careful not to step one inch into my room, and I saw that he'd removed his own tie as well. “Are you hungry?” He sheepishly nodded, and quickly raised his chin. 

“Sir, I'm sure you know this, but I have no—,” he began.

“Money, I know,” I snapped as I dug deeper. I found what I was looking for—and over-sized jacket I'd received as an ill-fitted gift from a business colleague—and tossed it to the nervous boy. “Put it on, we're going out to eat.” He did as he was told, and went back to his room to grab his shoes, which he carried until we came downstairs and we reached the marble floor of my foyer. 

 

I chose to tease him, and took him to the prissiest restaurant I liked. It was a fusion Italian-French place, and I knew that he'd be amazed beyond belief that people even ate foods like that. Upon entering, the maitre d' recognized me and quickly seated us in a cushioned booth near the back.

“Mr. Levi, I don't think I've seen you here with anyone in a long time,” he winked. I scowled back and handed him my coat, while Eren followed. 

“Dream on, this is a business dinner,” I spat. He smiled and nodded, but I knew he didn't believe it; no one would buy that Eren was any bit older than nineteen. Hell eighteen was even a jump.

With our menus in hand, Eren seemed a bit lost. He stared at the restaurant's patrons were all dressed up, as they had probably just been released from Saturday night plays. He began to tug on his hair subtly, and when we were brought our water, I leaned forward and called his attention.

“I brought you here to be mean,” I said plainly. “You see, Eren, I live a very distinct lifestyle. I eat good food, wear name brand suits, and drive Lexus and Audi cars. I hope this won't bother you?” Eren didn't seem uncomfortable, but all of a sudden, he broke down and held his face in his hands, his breath ragged as he held back tears. 

“Mr. Levi,” he groaned, “I want to thank you, but I don't deserve this. I'm nothing compared to you,” he looked up, and I saw his eyes shaking. Actually, one was shaking a bit more. “And I want to believe that this is real, and that you really care, but there's this part of me that just doesn't know what compassion or empathy even are anymore.”

I felt a little bad for putting so much on the boy, but I suddenly came to a realization, and a perfect compromise; if Eren could accept this new life, and do whatever I say, I'd take care of him. But I did have one inquiry, and I'd never been one to hold my questions back with ease,

“I'll tell you what,” I smiled a devilish smile, and I saw his face lose some color, “if you tell me why you're left eye is so much brighter, and how come it shakes, then I'll welcome you into my home, granted you do what I say and mind yourself.” He stared at me for a very long time, in fact he seemed so lost in thought, I couldn't bring myself to make him order—I simply ordered him a specialty sausage pasta, he seemed like a kid with simple tastes—and when our food finally came, the bright smells woke him from his stupor. He quickly took a bite and fell silent again as he reveled in the taste.

“Mr. Levi,” he said in a sweet whisper. “I'd show you, but you may lose your appetite.” I scoffed and took a sip of my bowl of French basil soup with Italian sausage, shaking my head. 

“You could remove your damn eye and I'd keep eating.” He smiled mischievously, and wiped his hands on the cloth napkin before turning his head a bit. I immediately knew what he was doing; he was just removing a contact lens. Careful as he placed it into his case from his pocket, he turned and finally opened his eye. It was shining, and its color resembled a golden coin. It was in such stark contrast to his other green eye, and his tanned skin, I soon found myself speechless. 

As I stared at him, I felt my feelings of pity quickly change. I looked at the boy before me, feeling my mouth water and knowing that it definitely wasn't caused by my food, and I suddenly felt proud. I had this boy all to myself right now, and if I wanted to, lets say, have him for dinner, I could do so. This primal instinct was burning in my throat, and no amount of water would swallow it. 

We finished off our food, and as we headed to my car, I ordered that Eren keep that contact in his pocket.

“Sir, you don't understand, people stare,” he argued as we waited for the valet to bring up my car. I shook my head, and instructed that he keep his head down. 

“No one will stare because no one will see you.” I said matter-of-factly. He consigned as we entered the car, and headed back home. It was already eleven thirty, and I could see that Eren was tired. “Do you have school tomorrow?” I asked. He tried to hide a yawn as he shook his head. 

“Just Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday,” he explained. “Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays I work under Mr. Smith.”

“Erwin?” I asked, extremely put off by the sudden name drop. He nodded, and hid another yawn as we turned down my street. “Well, forget that. From now on, you work for me, got it?” I demanded. He jumped at the sudden volume of my voice, and nodded quickly.

 

At home, he did the same shoe-removal routine again, and I informed him that he could simply leave them in the closet. Though he was tired, he lingered by me as I poured a drink of brandy to calm myself. I was amazed that I could even manage to get turned on anymore, what with my years of corporate stress and my advancing age. When I sat on the large white sofa that allowed a view of the sparkling city. I decided to see what sort of house guest I had, and offered him a drink.

“Mr. Levi, I'm only eighteen, I can't drink for two more years,” he interjected as I poured him his own glass. 

“I don't think any cops will come crashing through because one little shit is having a drink.” He swallowed visibly as I handed him the glass and retreated again to the sofa. He sat about one cushion's length from me, and sniffed the mysterious liquid before him. “Relax, it's just cognac.”

“I've had a beer before, sir, and it did a number on me,” he warned. I wanted to see him blindly drunk, all of a sudden. I gestured him forward, and with courage, he downed it. I stared incredulously at him, and he raised his hands in defense. “I heard that if you drink it fast it doesn't make you as drunk.”

“Ah, I see,” I wanted to laugh at his ignorance. Sure enough, when I game him a second glass, he was already beginning to turn tipsy. His eyes drooped, and when I slid closer, he didn't even flinch. “Do you remember my conditions on you staying here, Eren?” He nodded lazily. “What do you have to do?”

“Whatever Mr. Levi says,” he said strongly. I nodded and patted his messy, and incredibly soft brown hair. He almost leaned against my hand, not unlike a cat, and smiled dumbly. 

“Then face me,” I commanded. He turned, and as I took in his face, I had to hold back my urge to lay him out on my carpet floor. Instead, I took his strong chin in my hands, and claimed his lips. He didn't flinch back, and though I chalked that up to the booze, I reveled in the softness of his lips, and as I parted them, the eagerness of his mouth.

I kissed him for a few minutes before my hands began toying with him. My fingers pinched through his shirt at his nipples, and he mewed back. I nipped at his neck, and the reaction was too sweet. He kicked and moaned, and though I wanted to keep him going, my own barrier was breaking. I didn't want to overwhelm the poor boy. Or, at least any more than I already had. 

I pushed him off and instructed him to go up to bed. I gathered up a ceramic bowl and a few small portions of ingredients, and whipped up a mini bread pudding, which I delivered to the boy to help him sober up a bit before bed. As I left, and he was halfway done with the pudding, I heard him whisper the softest, kindest “thank you” as I shut the door.

I wrestled with my demons as I tried to go to bed, and I knew that what I was doing was wrong. But on the other hand, I had this sense of indebtedness to the poor boy. I had everything, literally anything I could want, and here I had this boy, without a family member to give a shit about him, or even a damn bed. I promised myself that I'd keep myself in check, but that as long as Eren wasn't unhappy, I'd indulge myself in indulging him.


	3. Spoiling Myself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi lavishes Eren with what can only be the sentiments of hidden feeling. When Eren can't bear the guilt of Levi's generosity, however, he comes up with his own payment plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so here's the first glimpse of smut, and I gotta admit, nothing is cuter than a cocky yet nervous Eren. Also, there's some heavy emotional baggage coming in future chapters, since Eren's naivete can't last forever.

When Eren woke up I was already sipping my coffee in the kitchen, checking emails on my laptop in my pajamas. He came down in the same pants as yesterday, and I immediately wanted to kick myself in the ass. I'd forgotten to give the boy some fucking sleep clothes. I let my coffee mug hit the counter loudly as I stared at the well rested boy.

“Shit, I'm sorry, I should have given you something to wear last night, sorry.” He didn't seem the least bit sheepish, and even went as far to note that he prefers to sleep in just his boxers. I made a mental note of that. He asked if he could pour himself some coffee, and upon my approval, went to the cupboard to retrieve a cup as he handed me the cell phone from last night. I nodded and called Mike, my secretary who happened to live a few floors down.

“Come and get it for me please? I need it delivered with haste.” I spoke into my own phone. Mike of course agreed, and within a few minutes, he was up at my door. Now, Mike was one of those people who can't keep their mouths shut if they had a thought, and while I would normally terminate someone like that, he happened to have a sense of duty stronger than most, and would take on simple tasks such as these. Plus, he could make my coffee better than I could.

“Oh, someone got busy,” he winked at me when he saw Eren. Eren of course blushed into his coffee, and I smacked Mike on the head. 

“Keep your mouth shut, alright?” I warned as I handed him the phone. “He's a kid I'm letting crash here, so shut it. You'll see him soon enough; he's my new intern.”

“I thought Erwin was getting the intern?” he asked innocently enough. 

“Change of plans,” I answered, “now this belongs to a friend of Eren's.” I nearly vomited when I said friend; I didn't even know the brat, but from what I heard over the phone, he wasn't someone I would like too much.

“What's his name, hun?” Mike asked from across the room. Eren, who had just taken a drink of coffee, rushed to swallow and answer. 

“Jean Kirstein,” he said quickly, “although I'm not really sure where he lives, I've never been there—,”

“Don't need to know,” Mike winked as he turned to me. “I'll see you tomorrow, sir.” He left then, and Eren seemed a little off put by his friendliness.

“He's a bit fond of people like you Eren,” I said simply. “He likes his boys like he likes his alcohol; young.” Eren nodded with his mouth shut, and I laughed lightly at his discomfort. I finished my coffee and went upstairs to shower, and he conceded that he'd do the same. “We could take a shower together and save water,” I thought to myself as I saw him retreat into his room. I groaned and resigned to my own shower, hoping it'd wash the pervy old man out of me. 

 

I decided that I'd spend the day spoiling Eren. Once we were both showered and I ran Eren's shirt through the washer—mostly an excuse to see him watch TV shirtless—we headed to the mall to stock his closet. I found that he had possessed a few outfits prior, but they'd been stolen when he was sleeping at a friend's house. Needless to say, I immediately packed him up and sent us to the mall I personally shopped at, closer to the Rose-Sina border, where the price tags rarely dropped below five hundred. He walked through the beautiful modern building, his mouth agape. This would be the reaction to anyone who wasn't “in” enough to be able to shop here, and in that moment, I was glad that I was rich trash, just so that Eren may experience this. When we came to the section of the mall dedicated to men's fashion, I saw Eren looking with admiring eyes, but upon seeing price tags, he'd move on.

“Don't worry, this is a bit out of the price range,” I lied, “so just take a look at what you want.” Eren, upon hearing that we wouldn't be buy anything today, looked at high quality suits intended for office wear, and even a three piece ensemble that I knew he would amazing in. After about an hour, he seemed content, and I turned the tables on him. I went and instructed the clerks to receive every article of clothing he'd spent longer than a minute looking at, and I watched as Eren looked on, horrified by the amount of nice clothes he'd now amassed. When I handed the clerk my credit card, Eren attempted to peek on the price tags, only for me to kick his feet and send him far enough to where he couldn't see.

“Mr. Levi, I bet all of those clothes cost over two thousand dollars,” he groaned as the bags were given to us at the exit. I laughed a throaty laugh and rubbed his hair, clicking my tongue. 

“You wish it was only two thousand,” I said quickly, and before he could recover, we continued on.

At another store we bought strictly undergarments, and then at a lower end store focusing on youth's clothes, bought him casual clothes for home and school. The longer we were there the more Eren accepted his fate and became much happier. I imagined that this was how a proud parent felt, and I wasn't in any mood to quit. We went to a tech shop and bought him a high quality laptop and a backpack for it—he'd asked if he could borrow my computer for a homework assignment earlier, to his dismay—and I bought him four pairs of shoes, two for work, one for home, and one formal pair of dress shoes. He was so happy, yet so ashamed, he didn't know how to really react. I had a bagger take our bags to my car—a feature of the malls in high-income areas—and after a cheap, greasy lunch, we came to my final destination.

“Eren, if you're going to be living with me and I'm going to take care of you, I need to be able to get a hold of you,” I said as we rounded a corner and entered the large store for my cellular carrier. He immediately stopped, and I saw him get teary.

“Mr. Levi, oh no, this is too much,” he protested eagerly. “It's one thing to stock me up on expensive things that can be given freely, but to buy me something like this, and on your liability, oh I can't do that, I—,”

“Shut up,” I groaned, as he'd grown rather loud, “and go pick one out.” He let one tear fall before he wiped at his face, and smiled weakly as he came in. I saw him grab a cheap training phone, and glared angrily at him. 

“Ma'am,” I turned to a clerk, “please, get me one of those new smart phones.”

“Which brand?” she asked sweetly. I shrugged, and told her to get any phone a college kid would want. She came up with some shiny, bright black phone, and I recognized it as the same make as the one that Jean kid had owned. This one was obviously a newer, model, however. I gave her my account number, and upon seeing my name, she immediately included a few optional accessories, like a case and screen protectors. I signed the contract and ensured that the GPS function was indeed in available on the phone, but deactivated. 

As we walked out to my car, Eren chattered about the things his new phone could do, and was ecstatic to find that he could access his new computer from it. Normally, I hate hearing loud sounds, but listening to him speak so excitedly about something so trivial, I couldn't help but smile and tell him to walk faster.

Eren was busy all day, what with personalizing his laptop and phone, and by mid-evening, he was busy ticking away what I later found was an overdue paper he'd been unable to complete. His old school stuff had just been lost overtime as he tried to move from house to house, and thanks to a quick stop at his university's student center, we regained most of the materials he hadn't been able to obtain due to print charges. I also demanded he collect any textbooks he needed but didn't have, and to my dismay, the only one he'd had was his “English book”, which was just a copy of famous plays.

While he worked on his school work, and I looked over the next week's schedule Mike had put together, I heard Eren softly clear his throat. It wasn't like he was preparing a speech, but I could tell from how he stopped typing, and was staring at the wall, that he was about to tell me something.

“Mr. Levi,” he said with feigned confidence. Finding that it'd be nicer to let him speak without fear, I didn't make eye contact, and simply raised my head to show that I was listening. “If... if I got a part-time job, would you drive me on Sundays? I mean I know I already have the intern gig, but that doesn't pay until your second year, and—,”

“What the hell do you need a job for?” I demanded. He looked at me, mismatched eyes gleaming, with subtle fear and intimidation. “Haven't I already said that I will take care of you? Besides, you're far too busy.” I snapped as I flopped onto the sofa beside him. Though he apologized, I demanded to know why he was looking for a job.

“Well, Sundays off are nice, but it'd be even nicer to have a little money, you know?” he asked so innocently, I said nothing but that I agreed. “I don't want to offend you, sir, but I'll admit I'm a little guilty that I have no way of repaying you.” Those words rung true despite my dislike of them, and I let the subject drop. I ordered takeout for dinner, something that Eren was ecstatic over; I guess I'd sort of given the boy culture shock.

 

Dinner was good, especially since Eren ate his entire portion, and half of mine; I found that I'd have to start overfeeding him, he was so scrawny. To top off an already slightly romantic, lazy night, it began to snow, first time of the season. He watched in awe as the snow swirled by the large windows, and to my surprise, he even snapped a decent picture to set as his phone background. The boy was too damn cute, and as I watched him babble on about what he had to do tomorrow, I found my eyes settling on his neck. 

“Normally when it snows I get really upset,” he said lightly as he repeatedly made his phone light up to see the picture, “it's like the universe is punishing me, since it usually makes me freezing. But up here, it's so nice and warm, and I—,”

“Eren,” I interrupted him. “Do you remember last night?” The question obviously took him off guard, but he nodded his head and even offered up a little smile.

“I do, sir,” he said sweetly, the bright pink of blush settling on his tanned cheeks. “I wanted to ask if you remembered; I'm glad you do.”

“Did that make you uncomfortable?” I asked. He shook his head violently as he tossed his phone onto the sofa beside him. 

“No sir! I loved it! I almost thought you'd changed your mind this morning, since you didn't say anything...” This boy was too fucking adorable, I could feel my pants starting to tent.

“Are you used to people immediately fucking you once they show interest?” I said quickly with a short laugh. Eren blushed, and to my surprise, he shrugged his shoulders. 

“Well, normally, when people show interest they just sort of, well, do what they want,” he tried to place his words carefully, but I caught onto them quicker than he could pussyfoot.

“Eren, are you telling me that people did things to you without consent?” He thought for a long time before answering, and even then it was a hushed and hurried whisper.

“Well, it's not like they're raping me, I don't say no or anything, but I it's not like I really want it...” he let his shoulders fall as if he'd just confessed to spilling wine on my white carpet. I stared at him, and in one short instant, I grabbed him and brought him close. 

“Who,” I demanded, “I need their names.” His beautiful eyes shook before me, no doubt phased by my steel-like glare.

“Oh Mr. Levi, please, its okay,” Eren stuttered in a broken hush. “They won't bother me anymore, I know they won't.”

“You don't understand me,” I warned, “I'm not going to speak to that filth; I have my own ways of handling things.” He squirmed in my embrace, and when I released to let him go, he clung closer. He was very quiet for a long time, and I almost thought he'd fallen asleep until he spoke. 

“Mr. Levi,” he said slowly, “do you think that if someone makes you do something when you don't want it, that counts as sex?” The question knocked my mind away, and when I recovered, I immediately told him that sex only counts when its consensual; anything else is rape. I sounded like a personal safety lecturer, but I couldn't give a shit if I'd tied. He thought on those words for a long time, before he made eye contact with me. Those damn eyes did their work on me, and my pants began to shrink. Or rather, I grew. “Then I think I know how to repay you for the things you've done for me.”

“How's that?” I nearly whimpered. He was being so fucking cute, but the worst part was that now he knew it.

“If I've never actually had sex,” he spoke very slowly, no doubt milking the reactions from me as I gripped him harder, “then I'll give my virginity to you.”

“Kid, you don't know who you're fucking with,” I hissed into his ear as I nibbled the lobe, earning a sweet, decadent moan from him. This sure wasn't where I thought this was going, but I was blessed for the turn.

“Then I want to find out,” he leaned away, his eyes narrowed. That's it! I wanted to jump for joy; this fucking kid had just given me leeway to do as I wish, and my wish was to do him. And since he'd accepted my many gifts, and felt remorseful for his inability to repay me, I'd be an ungracious host if I didn't accept this.

I picked him up—he was extremely light, so I made a mental note to make sure I had him weighed—and carried him up to my large room. I flopped him onto my bed, attacking his neck and collarbone with my teeth. He moaned under my weight, and I propped myself up onto my knee. This kid really needed some R&R, and maybe some regular gym visits. But now wasn't the time for that.

I pulled his shirt off quickly, and upon seeing his thin torso, I attacked a nipple. His hands flew to my hair as I sucked and bit down, and when I switched to the other side, he moaned even louder than before. I left trails of kisses and red marks down his chest, careful to not break the skin. I reached his abdomen, and licked from hipbone to hipbone, dipping down where his thin body extended towards his lower half. I yanked his pants down, angry when they didn't even need to be unbuttoned. 

“Damn it kid, I'm going to make you gain some fucking weight,” I groaned as I ripped his pants off of his feet. He laughed at my comment, but when I went for his boxers, he stopped me. My heart stopped, and I was scared that I was about to loose my consent and my desperate boner would be starved.

“You need to strip too.” His comment was so plain I wanted to laugh. I stripped my shirt off, and enjoyed the look I gained from him as he gawked at my body like a school girl. “I want to look like that,” he sighed. I laughed as I undid my belt, and slipped my own pants off. 

“We'll have to fill you up if you want that,” I cooed, and saw his eyes flutter and his crotch twitch, Now, I pulled softly on his boxers until the object of my attention was revealed. For a scrawny little kid, he was packing some heat. Nothing someone would be surprised over, but for my tastes, absolutely perfect. But once I pulled my own shorts off, his attention quickly went from my chest to my package.

“Mr. Levi, your dick is so much bigger,” he whined, distraught and grumpy. I clicked my tongue as I placed a hot, wet kiss on his lips. I could feel his length grow against my stomach as I lavished his mouth.

“No being pouty, now,” I teased as I pouted my mouth and lowered myself onto his semi-hard length. He immediately bucked his hips up to meet me, and I pinched his taught backside to warn him. 

“Gah, sorry,” he gasped as I began to pump my mouth up and down his dick. He turned to putty in my hands and it was insanely easy to switch focus, and as I pumped him with my hand, I began to lick and suck at his entrance. That really got him going, and after a few minutes, he was dripping with precum and begging me to finish him off. 

“No need to go so fast,” I cooed. I lifted him up and had him sit on all fours. “You ready?” He shook his hips in approval, and I garnered his butt with a firm yet soft smack. He moaned and shook in anticipation, and after I wet two fingers in my mouth, I began to gently pump the tips into his tight entrance.

“Oh Mr. Levi, no one's ever been so gentle,” he whispered, and I imagined he didn't think I heard him, so I didn't pay that comment any attention. I did, however, make a mental note. When one finger was in with room to spare, another was added, and soon, I was hooking them to make him mewl with pleasure.

“Now, if you will,” I crawled around him, holding my length for him. He took it with eagerness, and though he was outstanding at sucking me off, I couldn't help but be distraught for how he knew this trade. While he sucked, I remembered the item I'd purchased seemingly eons ago, and was thankful for my pervy nature in it's purchase. Sure I'd loosened him up, but he was still so tight, and as I wanted to make sure that nothing I did hurt more than I could help it. “Eren,” I growled with anticipation, “if you would, go into my top drawer.” He looked at me with those mismatching eyes, and I thought I would bust that very moment. He popped off my dick and held it with his hand as he managed to stretch his long body across the bed and reach the drawer and pull out a small blue bottle. He read the label quickly, and smirked at me with devilish eyes.

“Naughty Mr. Levi,” he said sweetly. I stuck my tongue out at him as I poured out a generous amount of the sweet-smelling, viscous liquid. I pulled out and quickly rubbed myself down, while also fingering him again to get a bit of lube inside of him. I wasn't quite as gentle as before, and he cried out at the swiftness of my work. Once that was all done, I went in without abandon, and the sensations of him writhing in pleasure around my dick was enough to finish me off. Too bad I wasn't so young; I'd love to finish again and again with him. “AH!” he cried as I finally thrust in, and when I made a steady pace, he fell into a trance of pure ecstasy.

As I claimed him, he made such sweet, precious sounds, I thought I would never let him leave this position. Did I ever think to myself that I would end up as a thirty something year old man fucking an eighteen year old street rat? I don't think so. But damn it, I'm glad it turned out that way.

“Mr. Levi,” he gasped, his face red with blush and his eyes hooded with lust, “I'm very close...”

“Me too,” I winked at him. “Do you mind?” I asked, almost timidly. He laughed a high, broken laugh as I fucked him harder. 

“That's all I want,” he sighed. I flipped him around then, and laid him on his back so that I could watch his face. Plus, from this angle, I could hit his prostate better, and with each angled thrust, he became weaker and weaker, and his screams grew louder and stronger. His eyes, the never ending object of my adoration and awe, were hooded underneath lust-driven lids, and the solid red blush on his tan face highlighted the greens and golds of those cursed irises. 

“Mr. Levi, I'm going to...!” he warned. Just then his body went rigid as he came all across his chest, some of his sweet cum landing on my own chest, and one noble drop fell onto my lip. He eyed me through his lidded eyes as I licked the drop off as I continued to thrust, and watching his face fall in pleasure caused my own release, slow and hot as it poured into the spent kid. I slowly pulled out, and watched with pride as my seed flowed back out of him like a waterfall.

“Oh, Mr. Levi,” he sang, holding out his arms to me. I shook my head and instead went and got a towel to clean us off before eventually falling onto him, still supporting my own weight, that is. “That... that's what sex is, huh,” he could barely vocalize more than a husky breath.

“It sure is,” I kissed his mouth and forehead before flipping him over and holding to my chest. It wasn't even ten o'clock, but I realized then that we'd be having an early night. “What time is class tomorrow?”

“Not until eleven thirty,” he yawned as he cuddled onto me. “Am I heavy?” 

“Fuck no,” I snapped. That kid was going to kill me. “Go to sleep.”

“Mhmm,” he conceded, and with that he dozed off, leaving me to fight with my demons.


	4. First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren goes to school for the first time while in Levi's care, and the result is several threats and jealousy. Meanwhile, Levi discovers something shocking when he and Erwin scourge the internet for hints of Eren's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this fic is getting pretty angsty, but don't worry, the fluff and smut will still be there. Enjoy it while you can <3

Eren dressed himself in a pair of beige jeans and an adorable sweater I'd picked out over a white collared shirt, and his new black sneakers. He packed his backpack and noted aloud that he didn't have any supplies, so we left half an hour early to swing by the office supply store. 

“Aren't you going to be late to work?” Eren asked. I laughed as I pulled out of the parking garage in my silver Audi. Eren was surprised to see that I wasn't lying about the Audi. 

“I'm only late if I don't show up,” I said. He accepted that, and after buying him some school stuff, he packed the essentials in his bag and left the rest in the trunk. “Now, you don't turn that phone off, okay? I need to be able to talk to you whenever. What time does class get out?”

“I have a lecture period now, and that ends at two,” he looked at the car's ceiling to concentrate, and I remembered then that he had his stupid contact back in. Guess he really didn't want his classmates to know about something as genetically amazing as heterochromia iridium. “Then I have an hour and a half off before Advanced Art—,”

“I'll be here at two to take you to lunch,” I said plainly. He smiled at me and snuggled into his seat a bit, and that just sent my heart going. “What time do you normally get out of your second class?” I asked. He gave me a wishy-washy look, which I desperately hated. “What's that face?”

“Well, my Art teacher likes to let us out early some days, and then very late others, I normally finish between four and five thirty.” He seemed to dislike saying that as much as I disliked hearing it. My protectiveness for the boy was growing, I could feel it, and as we turned down the university's main road, my hands whitened around the steering wheel. 

“You send me a message five minutes before you think class should end, I don't mind waiting for you. But don't you dare wait out here by yourself, you hear me?” The severity in my voice must have scared him a bit, but he gave me a kiss on the cheek nonetheless, and promised me he'd call. I pulled over, and as Eren's hand froze on the handle, I immediately asked what was wrong.

“That's Jean,” he groaned, pointing to a horse-faced kid standing by a lecture hall surrounded by other students, a few of whom were speaking with him. “Damn it, I bet he's waiting for me.” I felt my heart shrink in anxiety, and instead of parking, I quickly shifted out of park and went to the closest parking spot. He stared at me with wide eyes, and asked me what I was doing.

“Walking you in,” I demanded as I slammed my door and walked around, pulling him out of the car. I locked it as we strode across the parking lot, Eren still struggling to get a strap over his shoulder as my anger carried me on. 

“Mr. Levi—,”

“Call me Levi right now,” I growled as we reached the sidewalk. 

“Uh, Levi, I'm alright, I know how to—,”

“Eren, I happen to care about you a lot so please shut your mouth and let me,” I snapped. He got quiet, and though I worried he'd be put off, he clutched onto my arm. I noticed I was gaining a few odd glances, but one sweep with my glare caused them to look away. As we came up to the lecture hall, Eren gripped my arm a bit tighter. 

“Oh god, oh god, oh god, please don't say anything,” Eren was whimpering into my sleeve, and as we joined the group of students waiting, most of whom were just reading or chatting lightly with friends, the horse boy turned and smirked at Eren.

“Ooh, look it's Jaeger,” Jean sneered like a child. “What's that, your bodyguard? Sorry babe, gonna take more than some suit to—,”

“You say one more word and I'll rip your tongue out,” I was standing right before him now, and though he was much taller than me and Eren, he backed away towards his friends. 

“What's that, old man?” he tried to ask back, but his attempt at cockiness was lost on me. 

“Let's put it this way,” I said, stepping forward. I could tell that I was scaring him, and many around him, but I didn't care. Eren tugged on my sleeve, but I continued on, hoping he'd understand. “My assistant brought your phone to your house, yeah?” I asked. His eyes opened wide as he nodded. “Then you know that I know where you live, and that I can find out anything I want about you?” He nodded again, his eyes wide and shaky. “Good. Then, you can surmise what I have to say?” He shook his head, to which I clicked my tongue. I was purely livid, and I'm pretty sure the only thing keeping me from breaking his neck was Eren, trying to hold me back. “You lay one hand on my Eren, and I'll bring hell upon you. Understand me?” Jean nodded vigorously, and before I left, I turned to Eren, kissed him on the brow, and wished him a good day. 

“I'll see you at lunch,” I whispered to him. His face showed signs of both embarrassment, happiness, and gratitude, and hearing him yell back at me warmed my heart.

“See you, Levi!” I waved behind me as I heard the children file into the hall, stealing one glance behind me; to my joy, Jean sulked in with his head hung low.

 

Work was awful, what with all of the weekend's work piled up, and to make matters worse, Mike was such a fucking gossip, I got Erwin Shithead walking into my office at one thirty, asking me where my boyfriend was.

“Erwin, you're such a piece of shit,” I spat as he laughed in my door way. He shook his blond head, coming in to sit in one of the chairs before my desk. “He didn't have a home or even a fucking change of clothes, so I'm just taking care of him.” Erwin's giant fucking eyebrows rose with that statement, and I thought I was going to have to dropkick him out of the room. 

“Look, I honestly think its wonderful,” his voice had lost its arrogant tone, and his eyes now looked at me earnestly. “That's the sort of thing most people say they'll do, but never really do. What'd you do for him?”

“Bought him some new clothes, laptop, cell phone, school stuff, basics,” I stated. He nodded, and asked me the question I knew he was prepping.

“Do you like the boy? I happen to know he's very cute, even Mike agreed.”

“Mike would fuck anything that looks like it moves,” I spat. “I happen to find him rather humbling. I mean I was about to buy a fucking Ferrari for my birthday present, and now—,”

“You feel like instead you ought to buy him something?” Erwin interjected, and his accuracy angered me. He laughed a somber laugh, and sighed into his chair. “Face it Levi, you're a sugar daddy and you love it.”

“Shut your mouth,” I hissed. “I happen to have more of a heart than that. Why do I even have to explain myself? I take in a street rat, give him everything his parents should have, and—,”

“What did happen with his parents?” Erwin interrupted. I reclined into my chair and eyed the clock on my desk. Eren had never brought them up again, and it's not like I wanted to pry it from him, but now that Erwin had brought it up, it was indeed a very pressing issue.

“He'd said something about them disowning him a year ago, which you wouldn't think would be legal, right? I mean he had to beg his friends to let him live with them for a few months after he graduated; isn't that abandonment?” Erwin rubbed his brow and shook his head.

“It technically legal, yes, but most of the time, the judge won't grant it until the kid is eighteen. They must've had some crazy legal standing, otherwise—,”

“Erwin, did you know that the Medical Associates Corporation's President Grisha's wife's maiden name is Jaeger?” I stared at my computer screen in awe. Erwin was speechless as he came around and towered behind me, staring at the family records database I was scouring. Sometimes being an executive at an insurance agency had bittersweet advantages. 

“Christ, he's Grisha's stepson? You know that that guy is a crazy radical, right?” Erwin offered. “He claimed publicly that he thinks homosexuals are mentally unstable, and that he vows to 'fix' their DNA one day; no wonder he disowned the boy! What's his name?”

“Eren,” I said softly. Suddenly my heart leaped, and I jumped out of my chair. “Shit, I have to go pick him up.” 

“Daddy to the rescue,” Erwin clucked. I happily flipped him off as I grabbed my jacket and powered my computer down. “I can't wait to see him; I happened to miss him when he was here.”

“That's because you never do your fucking job,” I spat back as I pushed him out of my office and I locked the door behind me. “I'll be back later. And don't say anything!”

“Go indulge yourself Levi, you deserve it!” he yelled across the office, and I flipped him off from the elevator just before the doors closed.

 

I waited in my car in the drop-off only zone as my watch clicked closer to two o'clock. The lecture hall was within sight, and as much as I wanted to wait by the door, I knew that Eren was a little sheepish and would be more embarrassed by me. Besides, I liked to think that he may be a bit more tough than I gave him credit for.

The clock turned two, and just like nearly all lecture periods, everyone filed out quickly, no doubt off to get something to wake them up. Eren came out a bit later, chatting with a blond haired boy who parted ways with him as they came closer. Eren seemed happy with him, I knew I'd have to ask for his name. Eren spotted the car and came jogging over, obviously in much higher spirits than before. He opened the passenger side door and slid in, dropping his backpack to the floor. He smiled at me, but my stern face immediately gave away the reason for my disapproval.

“I'm sorry sir, I forgot to text you, but I was on a roll in class! Every single question I answered aloud was right, the teacher even told me that my thesis was a vast improvement from last weeks, and—,”

“Alright, alright, I'll let you off the hook because you're a nerd, but do please let me know how things work out next time?” He conceded and agreed, and in that moment, I felt as if we'd been together for much longer than forty eight hours. I took Eren to a café for lunch, and though he had to eat three orders of the prissy, small portions of food, he seemed happy enough to let little pleasantries slip while he spoke. 

“So Mr. Levi, I wanted to ask you something serious,” he dropped his voice to a low volume, and he lowered his eyes. “Well... I want to know how long I'll be able to stay with you. I don't want you to think that you're stuck with me, and—,”

“Eren,” I smiled a tired smile. “You don't remember things well. I remember telling you that if you were a good boy, and do as I say, you'll be welcome with me. And frankly, well, I enjoy your company. Plus you were a very good boy.” I winked and Eren choked on his food, and I almost had to give him the Heimlich before he controlled himself.

It was only three o'clock, so instead of dropping him off, I parked in the drop-off zone and pulled out my phone. As much as I wanted to ask him about what I'd found out earlier, I knew better. He was an incredibly open boy, and from what I gathered, he'd tell me when he felt like it. As long as I continued to maintain my somehow nonjudgmental nature around him, I figured he'd come around and tell me eventually.

“Mr. Levi, I just got a text,” he suddenly gasped, squinting at his lit up phone screen. “Gosh that was quick.”

“What's up?” I asked, a bit annoyed. He stared at me for a moment before realizing that he hadn't given me any context, and hadn't actually spoken much since we arrived. He nodded a curt nod before showing me the screen. I laughed internally when I saw that he'd changed the default sans serif font of the phone to a bubbly, comic like font face. Written in the conversation was at first a message to whom I assumed was his art teacher, confirming his finally getting a permanent number. The recipient then exclaimed that they were glad he did, because they'd just gone to the hospital for their pregnant daughter, and class would be canceled.

“Nice, huh? Good thing, I'm real tired,” he sunk into his seat blissfully, and as I turned the engine back on, he suddenly perked up. “So, Mr. Levi? I was thinking we ought to see a movie! I personally like comedies, but if you like action that's—,”

“Eren, I have to go back to work,” I interrupted him. His face fell with understanding, and I felt as if I had gotten punched in the gut. “But hey, we will go tonight, alright? I just have to go in for a few hours.”

“That's fine,” he smiled again, and as we left the parking lot, I remembered something very pressing. I made a mental note to swing by the hardware store the next time Eren was at school.

“I can't leave you home alone yet,” I said as we pulled up to a red light. “I hope you have something to work on.”

“Can't I just work for you?” he asked innocently. I pondered while he continued, stating that it'd be great practice for his real first day tomorrow. “Saturday I wasn't even supposed to come in, but I thought Mr. Smith would—,”

“Don't call him that,” I groaned, “it's Erwin.” He eyed me curiously before continuing.

“But anyways, I wanted to get a look at the building and I was confused for an employee and that's how I ended up with the ink cartridges...” he blushed a bit at the memory of his embarrassment. I laughed aloud as we sped down the freeway towards the Lilley Building. I didn't mind the constant driving around I'd found myself doing, and I definitely would not let Eren ride a bus or even take a cab, but the sight of the various skyscrapers in the distance made me feel suddenly distraught.

“Mr. Levi,” Eren interrupted my melancholic scene, “so, well Jean apologized today.” I almost rear-ended the car in front of me, I was so surprised by his words. I felt a cocktail of emotions swirl in my mind, and I was thankful we were only one block from the parking garage or else I'd have gotten in a collision. I saw Eren's tan skin whiten against his knees as I drove crazily into my parking space. “Mr. Levi, are you alright?”

“No, Eren, I don't think I am,” I hissed in a low growl. He gulped aloud and held up his hands to reason. 

“I don't forgive him, sir, no way! But your words, and your actions... well, they really got to him. I wanted to say that I'm thankful; that guy has been torturing me since high school.” He shrugged and shivered as the cold of the concrete complex seeped into my car. I slid out and ordered him to bring his bag just in case I couldn't find work for him, and as I sped up to the entrance, he jogged beside me, although his longer legs carried him at my speed easily. Unlike his easy-go-lucky demeanor, I was not easily pleased.

Eren was instantly quelled by the hustle and bustle of the building during true work hours, and as we rose up in the elevator to my floor, I was surprised to see a few maintenance workers hovering around my office.

“Shit, what happened,” I grumbled; I swear if it's not one fucking thing it's another. I pushed past the burly men in blue shirts, and saw to my surprise, Hanji.

“Levi!” Hanji screamed aloud as she held out her arms to present to me the reason for the commotion. I peeked around and saw that it was just a normal cubicle, one that I remember belonging to a pencil pusher. I glared at her, but her stupid face never fell. “I made your intern a special little place to work, since I have faith he'll be here for a while,” she winked. Eren stood awkwardly behind the construction men until I grabbed his arm and pulled him through. She smiled even bigger when she saw him, and took a preparatory breath.

“Calm your shit,” I groaned, feeling ten years older. “Why the fuck did you move a senior employee to find a place for an intern? That goes against every office policy.” I felt as if I was speaking to a child. Hell even Eren was smart enough to know that, since he stared at the ground with his tan cheeks pink. Hanji just clucked and pointed a finger skyward.

“Sorry sir, but these orders came from higher up than both of us,” she obviously meant Erwin, “so don't get so cross in front of the boy. He'll get the wrong impression,” she turned to Eren and extended a hand, which he took. “Zoe Hanji, most people call me Hanji, so you ought to too.” Eren nodded, and after the crew of blue collars left, he stood awkwardly in the hall.

“You honestly know how to make a simple matter complicated,” I groaned into my hands. “Just get back to work.” I turned and stomped into my office, dropping like a sack of rocks into my chair. Eren shuffled in, and waited patiently for my orders. Too spent, I simply told him not to make a lot of noise, and to come back in at five o'clock. With a smile and a tiny kiss on my crown, he left. I collapsed into my chair, seemingly ready to return to work, but instead I found myself browsing the local movie listings.


	5. Afraid to Sleep Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren comes to Levi when he can't sleep, and asks to be kept warm. What else can Levi do but comply?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this is chapter 4.5, because it's honestly just shoe-horned smut. It does indeed tie over to chapter 5, but I felt like the story didn't have enough smut for four chapters. Enjoy!

I was pleasantly asleep until I heard my door open very gingerly. I looked up groggily to see Eren padding across my white carpet, hovering over to see if I was asleep. However, in the darkness of night, I couldn't see his face, so I was sure he couldn't see mine. Content that I was asleep, he softly walked over to the other side of my labyrinthine bed. I felt the pressure of my plush, memory foam mattress shift a bit as he clumsily tried to lay down beside me. 

“Eren?” I finally spoke. He cursed under his breath and quickly jumped up, his breathing very loud in the dead silence of the room. I turned on my side table's lamp, and there stood Eren clad in nothing but his underwear. Quite the sight, if you ask me.

“S-Sorry, Levi, I didn't mean to wake you...” he whispered shakily. I rubbed my eyes and beckoned for him to come. He lithely crawled across my sheets, his shiny eyes settled on some point above my head. 

“What's wrong? Can't sleep?” I yawned. He nodded as he sat beside me, towering over me with his broad, skinny chest. 

“I woke up and felt really... lonely,” he said almost silently, “and I wanted to sleep with you. I'm sorry I woke you.”

“Shush,” I laughed softly. I laid back down, bringing his clunky figure along with me. After he settled under the sheets, he laid his head on my own bare chest, his cold cheek resting into my well established warmth. “You're cold.”

“Yeah, I've been up for a while.” 

“What time is it?” I yawned again, and he informed me that it was just a but after three in the morning. I nodded and turned to shut off the light, when he suddenly stopped me. “What's wrong; afraid of the dark too?”

“I want you to make me warm,” he looked up at me, his lids low as he spoke. My heart was startled by this; he'd come in looking for trouble. Not bad.

“How should I make you warm?” I asked, taking care to keep my breathing steady. He snuggled a bit before rising up on his forearm, pouting as he did so.

“You know what I want...” he whispered. I groaned as he started to squirm a bit; the little fucker was horny. He'd come in and woke me on a Thursday night, like I wouldn't have to be up the next morning. That little shit. “It's been one month since I've stayed with you, Levi... I was gonna ask if you wanted to maybe... celebrate?”

“Hm,” I tapped my finger on his chin, parting his pink lips as a subtle blush settled over his dimly lit face. “I suppose... we can do something,” I smirked as I rose to meet his lips. He greedily attacked mine, and I was forced to lay him back to quell him. “You act as if I starve you.” He giggled adorably as he let me hold his hands down.

“In a way you do,” he snickered as he looked down at my crotch. This boy was asking to be filled up, huh? What else could I do but comply? I leaned off of him and removed my pants, glad that I wasn't wearing any underwear. He stared eagerly at my length as it sat before him, and looked at me with asking eyes. “Have at it.” 

With those words, he devoured me. He took over my dick with his tight mouth, and though he'd done it before, it felt like a whole new experience while I was only half hard. He quickly stiffened me up, though. He pumped with his mouth while toying around with my balls, and it was as if heaven was kissing at my junk. When he let his mouth fall to the base, nearly choking on it, I involuntarily grabbed at his hair and thrust inward, causing him to make an awfully intoxicating sound and pull off, his saliva leaving a thick, dripping trail. 

“Fuck,” I hissed. “Sorry, that was just—,”

“Amazing?” he muttered in a husky voice. Before I could say something smart he retook me, and began sucking much harder. I could feel my hands gripping at his soft brown hair, and holding him on hard until I started seeing what appeared to be snow. 

“Shit,” I cursed loudly, “Eren, stop or else I'll finish.” He merely moaned on my dick, and the resulting vibrations coupled with the intense sucking and handling caused me to buck up and cum straight into his eager mouth. When I finally sat back and fell near the foot of my bed, he sat up and towered over me, the smallest drop of semen still resting on his lips. He licked it purposefully in front of me, just to tease. “You're a little shit.”

“I know,” he kissed me again, much softer than he had been before. I looked down and saw that his boxers were pitched like a two story tent. 

“Maybe I should return the favor?” I pushed him down, and though I was still recovering from my latest sensation overload, I was still hard enough to do him. Hell, since I was already half spent, it'd take twice as long before I came again; I could make him finish over and over. That thought must have shown on my face, for Eren soon quivered beneath me.

“What're you going to do to me?” he asked nervously as I pulled his boxers off swiftly. I hopped over to my bedside table and grabbed the familiar bottle, quickly rubbing it onto my hands as I started massaging his entrance. To my surprise, he was already pretty loose.

“Did you play with yourself?” I asked incredulously. He blushed much brighter now as he nodded. 

“I... I wanted to see if I could do it like you do... I can't.” He looked slightly ashamed but so adorable, I barely had the patience to rub my own dick down before assaulting him. He screamed aloud when I slammed in, and though I should have been more patient, I simply couldn't bring myself to slow down. I started ramming in quickly, and as his screams died down to short, low, lustful moans, I knew he was getting into it. He let me hold his ass up so I was slamming directly into his pleasure spot, and his beautiful eyes went cloudy.

He first came slow, very loudly, as he writhed around my length, which had just gotten fully hard again. He looked at me as if he'd just been punished for a crime, with his own cum settled all over his chest and face. The sight was so lewd; if I were younger, I could have finished right then. But lucky for him, I wasn't. I started nailing him against my bed, and the look on his face was priceless.

“L-Levi...!” he gasped as I flopped onto my back, bringing him down so that he laid on my chest. I held him down by his shoulders as I rammed up repeatedly, my dick hitting him directly in his prostate. He could barely even keep his head lifted up to see me before eventually falling into my shoulder like a pathetic, adorable mess. I could feel my own orgasm coming on, and though I regretted to end it, I started ramming in without abandon. It was like I needed to make him cry... suddenly, I felt the intense need to make him now that this was something only I could do him. He started shaking against me, as our chests were stuck together with his previous cum. His ass was also incredibly sticky, it practically sucked me in each time I tried to pull out. When I knew he was about to finish I quickly sat up and bounced him in my lap, watching his exasperated face as he slammed hard onto my dick.

“Ah, Levi, I'm going to,” he could barely speak as he suddenly came hard, much harder than before, directly onto the both of us. I laid him down as he still flailed, striking him again and again until I finally finished again. He let out a low growl of a moan as I emptied out inside him, and his face showed the expression of someone who was blissfully, unabashedly happy. After my vision cleared, I leaned off of him and watched as my cum came slowly dripping out. God, everything about his body was beautiful, from his perfect little ass to the way his hip bones directed your eye to his dick; but when I rose up to kiss his lips, the angelic look on his face and the shine in his eyes made me want to freeze him forever on my bed. 

“Should I get a towel?” he asked, slightly out of breath. I considered saying yes, but decided instead to scoop him up—I was glad that at least my legs still had some energy—and carried him to my bathroom. I sat on the cold tile of my bathtub as I let the water get hot, holding Eren up high so that his steaming body wouldn't touch the frigid stone. “Ooh, romantic,” he cooed as he kissed at my neck.

“No marks above the collar,” I warned as I took control of his lips. I let the tub full up to the edge, and watched Eren's surprise when I sat us both in, and water rushed over every side. 

“Levi, it'll flood,” he warned. I laughed and splashed water onto his flushed face. I pointed to the opposite side of my enormous bathroom, and he nodded when he saw the large drain near the shower, which had no curtain or door. “This is very modern.”

“I like to take my showers feeling free,” I teased as I scooped up water in my hands and let it fall on his soft hair. He out did be my dunking my head completely under the water, and when I came back, he resorted to rubbing my wet undercut. “You're being touchy.”

“You're not one to talk,” he scolded softly before relaxing against the edge of the tub. “For a hard edge this is really comfortable to lean against.”

“It had rubber in it,” I commented as I leaned back as well. The steam in the dimly lit bathroom made it appear as if smoke were settled in a fire filled room, and his eyes stood out against the slight red tint the lights created. “Eren, would you be offended if I called you beautiful?” He thought hard on it, and shook his head.

“It's got a feminine connotation, but I've heard I have a feminine face, so it fits,” he shrugged. I laughed aloud at his comment, which made his face light up. “Thank you. No one's ever called me beautiful.”

“Not even your family?” I couldn't stop the words before they left my mouth. He didn't seem to mind them, and merely shook his head and smiled weakly.

“No, mother didn't compliment much.” His words seemed final, so I let the topic drop. Nevertheless, my interest was higher than ever. After we soaked for what seemed like an eternity, I pulled us both out and handed him a towel to dry off with. I looked at the clock and groaned aloud; it was five thirty, and I'd have to be awake in an hour to get ready for work.

“I'm sorry I couldn't wait until tomorrow,” he sunk against the wall as I grabbed at my hair, exasperated. I let a multitude of ideas run through my head, from sitting up early for the day and just deal with the sleep deprivation, going to bed and arriving at work late, to screwing off work. Eren started for the door when I grabbed him and tossed him onto my bed, crawling in to join him under the warm sheets. “What're you doing, sir?” I kissed him before bringing his head to my chest, the coldness of his damp hair wonderfully contrasting with my hot chest.

“We're calling in sick; go to sleep.” I kissed his head before clicking the light off, and wrapping my arms around him. He fell asleep within ten minutes, and I prided myself on being the cause of his descent into peace. I was awake for a bit longer, letting a few thoughts run through my head. 

Eren was living with me. I'd taken on the role of benefactor, father, and now it seemed, lover. Though I was more than happy to fill any hole in his being he needed filled—literally and metaphorically—I couldn't shake the feeling that what I was doing was wrong. He told me he was happy, and he never outwardly showed me any trepidations beyond being ashamed when I spent money on him. I wasn't interest in being a sugar daddy, as Erwin had called it, but if that was what Eren really needed, I'd do it.

Wait, would I? Had my attention changed so much that I was wholly interested in one person, and that person wasn't even me? I suppose it was only to be assumed; I was in love with Eren. I'd never been so worried, attracted, or emotionally vested in one person, nor had I had anyone who sought me when they needed attention. Sure, at this point, I was the only person Eren had to rely on—for all I knew—but could I be so deluded as to think he'd return my sentiments?

As I started to fall asleep, I decided to declare my feelings directly, in a way that he could absolutely understand. No pussyfooting for me. As I felt my eyelids became heavy, I leaned my face into Eren's sweet smelling hair, softly mumbling the gentle yet poisonous words. 

To my surprise, I heard him mumble back, “I luff you too.”. I chalked it up to my imagination, but I'd be lying if I didn't fall asleep with a giant, stupid grin on my face.


	6. Delving Deeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi make some major progress in their relationship, but as anyone can tell you, often progress is followed by relapse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this is pretty angsty. Eren's backstory is coming out now, as well as a little insight into his nature. Also, I'm almost done with the final chapter--I have it open as I'm writing this--and I have to say I'm pleased with how this fluffy fic came out. I also want to thank everyone whose kept reading this, and for offering me such splendid insight.

As a the days rolled into a solid week, and that week soon stretched into several, I noticed Eren sneaking his way deeper and further into my thoughts. As I sat at my desk, writing too many emails one ought to on a Thursday, I received a picture message from Eren of his latest final exam score sheet: a round 95 out of 100, followed by several happy faces. I hadn't known it at first, but it turned out that Eren was not only extremely smart—he'd gotten in to university on merit alone—but was outstandingly good at art. I walked into the living room one evening to find him sketching while he watched some cartoon, and ended up sitting and just watching his large hands craft tiny images. 

At work he happened to be very docile, however. He was near silent unless we spoke alone, otherwise he answered in very short, one-word answers. I found that he was very adept when it came to handwriting, so by the end of the month he was writing nearly all of my traditional reports. He worked quietly and quickly, and as much as that made me want to nail him on a desk, he left himself wide open to outside forces. Most notably Erwin, who I found harassing my Eren with a pile of paperwork and a nasty look on his face. Needless to say I remedied that problem.

Yet the more we were together, the more I found myself doting on smaller things. If Eren wasn't very hungry, which wasn't often, I found that a tiny meal was sufficient. When he wanted to stay up late, I suddenly had the energy to do so as well. I'm not saying that he changed my life, but he certainly changed my habits. Though I found that Eren wasn't quite the vital young flower you'd expect an eighteen year old boy to be, his youth did indeed light up the house. When I found that he hadn't been to a doctor since he left home—he was extremely careful to pussyfoot around that subject—I immediately took him to the medical clinic for a checkup. Little had I known that Eren's previous medical history wasn't very spotless: pneumonia as a young child damaged his lungs, he'd had mononucleosis at thirteen that stayed until he was fourteen, and his immunizations had halted after he turned seven. Needless to say, Eren wasn't to thrilled when a three week shot regimen was immediately written up, with the most grueling vaccinations lined up first. His arm was like a swollen pin cushion.

Add that with his truly horrible vision, and I was amazed that the kid could even walk properly. According to the optometrist, he'd probably needed glasses since he was very young. Constant problems with ones eyes doesn't usually accompany heterochromia, but who knows; maybe the mismatching colors was some crazy mutation.

Eren hadn't brought up his parents ever since that first night, and my patience in the matter was thinning. I wanted to know what had happened, I felt as if I needed to know. Eren was subject to little moody periods where he'd just want to sit in his room, the window blowing in frigid air, and once he fell asleep—he was an extremely heavy sleeper, which one wouldn't think—I'd go in and close his window, tucking him into bed. I assumed he had immense emotional baggage, and once he was ready, he'd bring it up and we'd discuss it. But to think that he was hiding any hurt... it didn't make me feel too cheery.

When a frosty October rolled into a snowy November, which turned to a stormy December, I found that Eren wasn't looking for anywhere else to go. He'd accepted my offer, and though it still seemed taboo, I relished in his wanting to stay with me. He'd expressed interest in perhaps finding an internship more in line with the arts—despite the fact that he was ineligible for an arts degree at his university—but was ready to embrace a career in business. His actual major, Communications based with and emphasis on Human Resources, would actually be perfect at our company; it's not everyday an employee at an insurance agency actually cares about his customers.

“Levi, what did you do before you became VP?” Eren asked one day, his glasses low on the bridge of his nose. God, he looked fucking delicious with those silver rimmed frames sitting just before his glittering eyes.

“I was an intern, like you, but unlike you I didn't graduate from college,” I explained, to which he simply nodded, his fingers ticking away on his laptop in a nice rhythm. “Then I was hired as the then executive secretary's assistant.”

“Who was that?” He asked, looking up at me. He pushed his glasses up his nose, and the thoughts that went through my mind made me consider going to confession. 

“Erwin,” I said simply. He was mind blown about that for a few minutes before finally asking what I did to get promoted. “I had impeccable work habits, had gotten in with an executive, and well, Erwin liked my ass.”

“What?!” Eren nearly threw his computer onto the coffee table as he swiftly crawled over to me across the sofa. “Did you and Mr. Erwin use to date?”

“Don't be stupid; those eyebrows are hideous,” I spat, almost offended. Not that he meant it to offend me; hell the former president had thought that we were a thing. I patted his soft head and pushed him back to his spot as he pulled his computer back. “He's a pervy man, though he's not very much older than me. You see, his step-uncle was the president back when he graduated college, and it just seemed natural that he'd enter the company right away. And like his uncle, he promoted people he liked.” Eren nodded slowly and went back to work.

That was just how we were. He'd usually bring something up, which I'd answer or discuss, and when he was content, he'd go back to whatever it was he was doing. I found that he was often busy, and usually had his laptop burning against his jeans from the second he came home until the minute he went up to bed. I assumed it was natural; college students are not renown for having carefree lives. But it took me a few weeks to realize just how busy he was, and that on some days, he had even more work than me. I wish I knew the finer points of ancient literature, or else I'd give him a hand. Not that he needed it.

I'd lightened up on the sexual activities after the first time, but I was more surprised to find that Eren came to me when he craved it. It was one area where he was needy, and openly demanded attention. I could lavish him in gifts all day and he'd shy into them, half ashamed of my patronage and half excited by the sentiment, but once he got horny, he was flaunting his young beauty before me in an attempt to seduce me. It never ceased to work. He also figured out my insane adoration of his eyes, and decided to discontinue the contacts, so long as I never teased. I never did. We'd had real sex only three times, but I found that he only half craved the raw pleasure of intercourse that every young person does; he truly just wished to be close to me, whether it was just making out or severe foreplay.

But the longer Eren stayed with me, the more permanent it all felt, and the worse the idea of him leaving burned me. I would never say it aloud, but I had become completely dependent on his company, to the point that when he finally went out with a friend—the blonde I'd seen him leave class with earlier, who was identified as Armin Arlet, a long time acquaintance—I sat staring at the TV, watching the same cartoon channel Eren had left it on. I'd never, ever before in my life needed someone so much, not even my own mother. This newfound dependence left me so insecure, I was almost sure that if Eren up and left, I'd break.

It was on a Sunday evening that I decided to lay my cards out, and it happened to be the two month mark of Eren's stay with me. I took him to his new favorite restaurant, a family owned dive near the border between Maria and Rose, and even went as far as to prepare a present. Eren sat in the chair across from me in a white button down with a festive holiday sweater, black jeans and sneakers, looking like a piece of perfection from a men's fashion catalog.

“Levi, thanks for dinner,” he smiled brightly. He chatted about destiny or something to that measure, but what I really enjoyed was just the sound of his voice. The weight of the box in my blazer pocket was extremely heavy, but after we'd ordered, eaten, and even had dessert, I found that I had no time left. Had I always been this nervous? I doubt it.

“Say, Eren, I got you something.” I said about as plainly as I ever could have imagined. His face lit and his cheeks reddened, and as my shaky hand pulled the box out, I could see Eren's mismatched, beautiful eyes widening in surprise. 

“Oh gosh, Levi, this is unexpected!” He clasped his cheeks in his hands and smiled a cheeky smile. “Are you going to ask me out?”

“Yes, actually,” I said in a sharp exclamation. His mouth hung slack as I handed him the box. He opened it, and with a shaking hand extracted the sentiment I'd purchased. “Don't get too ahead of yourself, though. I bought this as a little, well, thank you gift. You make me happier than I am when I'm alone, and though I know I'm very selfish, and I hope you'll grace this old man with your presence a little longer.” The speech I'd actually prepared was nothing compared to that, but in the heat of the moment, I'd forgotten every sappy word I'd come up with. Eren's eyes glimmered with tears as he held the shiny black band. The ring was black tinted silver with gold lacing on it, similar to the criss-cross patterns of a gun's barrel. I took it from him and slid it onto his left middle finger, content that it fit snug. “Do you like it?”

“Gosh,” Eren finally gasped out. He looked up at me, tears now flowing freely, a dumb smile spread wide across his face. “Levi... I don't know what to say besides thank you, it's beautiful... Oh shit,” the first time he'd actually cursed in our conversations, “so, you're asking me to be your...?”

“If you need a label, make one,” I said quickly, my pulse racing. Had I moved too quickly again? Would I put the poor boy in shock, just as I did when I first dropped ten grand on him? I desperately hoped not.

“Boyfriend?” he asked, his voice rising in tone, and after I nodded, he sat silent for a few moments. Then he screamed aloud, causing a decent amount of commotion, and jumped around the table to hold me. I consoled the crying adult, and as I did, several people congratulated me on my upcoming nuptials. I wasn't one to correct them, so I simply thanked them. 

My inability to accurately describe this event leaves me looking unceremonious, but I assure you, it was a grand spectacle for my delighted participant. I drove him through a fast food drive-thru for cheap, soft-serve ice cream once we left, and when he finally came home with the sunset illuminating my white apartment, he started crying again. He was acting oddly overemotional, however, enough so that I took careful notice. He dropped his teacup in the kitchen and broke down crying, something he'd normally just apologize for, and clean up. Instead, he sat on the cold tile ground, weeping like he'd just lost a loved one.

“Jesus Christ, Eren, pull yourself together,” I said, surprised that he was like dead weight as I lifted him up. He was burning up, like he had a mild fever, and upon further inspection, I found that he was about 100 degrees. “Did dinner taste funny?”

“N-No,” he wept as I carried him upstairs. Sure the weather was gnarly, and going from a nicely heated apartment to the twenty degree weather outside wasn't good for one's health, but I was careful to make sure he always had a scarf and sweater. I shrugged this off as excitement and a cold, and put him to bed. I checked in ten minutes later with tea, and he was out like a light.

I checked his phone and found his teacher's numbers, and was glad that they both answered and accepted my message that he was sick enough to stay home. With their regards, I hung up and went to deliver his schoolwork back to his room. When I got to his door, I found that it was locked. Huh. Eren never locked it before, hell, I didn't even think he knew it had a lock. Nevertheless, when I grabbed the pin-key from my room and entered, I let his laptop and school bag crash to the floor as I ran in. He sat there, his arm bleeding from a gash on his upper forearm, maybe four inches across. I threw myself down next to him, pulling out his arm and releasing his other hand to find the culprit. To my utter horror, I found it to be a large shard of the broken tea cup.

“Eren, what the fuck?” I demanded, my voice cracking under the massive stress of my manic breathing. I picked him up while he was limp and grabbed his shoes before tearing out of the apartment, glad I had kept my car keys in my pocket. I was an awful, shaky mess in the elevator, but I was relieved that I didn't run into anyone until I hit the lobby. A maintenance worker demanded if there'd been an accident, to which I simply didn't bother answering. Within two minutes we were out in the freezing parking garage, and speeding out onto the highway as I rushed him to the hospital. “Why would you do this?!”

“I'm sorry,” he cried in a near inaudible whisper, and I felt my heart break a bit. I started racking my mind, searching for an instance where I had misstepped, misspoke, anything to make this teen resort to self harm. I'd seen the boy naked a few times, and had seen him wear short sleeves often; it's not like any scars could just slide by. As we neared a hospital, I saw that his arm wasn't scabbing, and the bleeding hadn't stopped. I grasped at my hair when I remembered something trivial; I hadn't made a fucking tourniquet.

I drove into the emergency lane of the hospital campus, which I'm pretty sure was reserved for ambulances and perhaps a crowning pregnant woman, but I literally couldn't give a shit. I turned the car off and ran over, grabbing Eren out before full on sprinting into the lobby. I didn't even lock my car. 

The looks on the hospital goer's faces were priceless, and had I not been the reason for their shock, I probably would have laughed. The nurse behind the counter saw Eren's arm and immediately ran out from her post and assessed him, screaming for a gurney and emergency personnel. A male nurse took him from my arms and laid him out on the padded trolley, as another nurse brought up an IV pole, already with a bag of blood hanging on it. These people were fast. I found myself glued to the ground as they sped off to the emergency room, and I didn't move until a doctor ran around them, steering them instead to a proper surgery room.

Oh god.

I ran after them once I heard a door slam, only to be stopped by a passing doctor. I shouted enough indecencies to make the other patients there cover their children's ears, but I didn't care. The doctor placed her hands on my shoulders and gave me a good, rough shake, and after my ears stopped ringing, I heard her words.

“Sir, he's going to be okay,” she said in a hushed, firm voice. “He's very lucky; that doctor in there has been an emergency room surgeon for ten years; you literally cannot find a better person to help him in all of Rose. Possibly Sina too.” I stared at the dark skinned woman for a long time before I let her direct me to a different waiting room, filled with two other people, both women, sitting in anxiety like myself. I sat beside an older woman who stared at her hands in her lap, and when I slumped into a seat, pulling on my shirt collar to loosen it, she handed me a tissue from her pocket.

“Is it your wife?” she asked in an old, sweet voice. I shook my head, and to reduce my word count, I simply told her it was my fiancée. She nodded and held up a shaky finger. “She's here for her fiancée too. Car accident. What happened?” I shook my head and just said he'd fallen. “Ah. My husband is in there right now. Heart attack. This is his third one. I happened to drop my cup downstairs when he came around the corner at the same time the clock ticked six; didn't end well.” The woman was good for comic relief, but the moment she stopped talking, my heart began to quiver more, and I wondered if I'd have a heart attack too.

I fiddled with my hands for what seemed like an eternity, and somewhere in my stupor,I pulled out my phone and sent Erwin a message proclaiming my absence tomorrow. Thirty minutes later, a male nurse who I recognized as the one who took Eren from me. I jumped up and demanded his state, only for him to calm me in a similar matter as the previous doctor.

“What's your name sir?” he asked. For a large man, he had a high pitched voice. I told him and he simply nodded and scribbled on his clipboard. “Eren is just fine. He was completely conscious up until we chose to put him under; the cut was deeper than expected, and it turns out he had more than one. You've actually got blood on you from some of them.” He pointed to the side of my pants, which was pretty blood stained. “Surgery is almost done, it was really a matter of stitching him up and a little extra blood; he really didn't lose a lot. I wanted to ask what actually happened.”

“I went into his room to give him his things, since he had a fever and I put him to bed. I walked in and he had cut his arm with a piece of a cup he'd broken earlier; I didn't even realize that he'd taken a piece.” The nurse nodded, and for a moment, I thought he doubted me. 

“Now, he was asking if 'Mr. Levi' was angry with him, and now that I know it's you, I must ask; what's your relationship with him?” I wanted to punch him in the face, but knew better. Besides, the last thing I needed was to be thrown from the hospital. 

“Well, he lives with me.” I said curtly. The nurse raised an eyebrow at my choice of words. 

“Is he your son? Nephew?” 

“No,” I spat. “He's my boyfriend. He was a homeless college kid, and I took him in. He interns for my company; that's how I met him.” My voice was so seeped with venom, this bastard started to sweat a bit.

“So you're not his guardian?”

“He's eighteen,” I hissed. This guy was asking for it, and I was about to give it to him until the surgeon who'd directed them to the surgery room walked up behind him, patting his shoulder before dismissing him. 

“Let me see,” he took the nurse's clipboard before he left, “Mr. Levi, last name?”

“You don't need it. Eren's is Jaeger.” I was still in a shit mood. The doctor nodded in understanding and motioned for me to follow. We went into what I presumed was his private office, and when I sat, the word vomit began. “Doc, I didn't know Eren was hurting himself, I'd never condone it. God, I can't believe it, he was always in my sights, whenever we were together, I don't know how this happened,” I was breathless when he raised understanding hands.

“Mr. Levi, I'm Dr. Hannes, nice to meet you, although I wish it were under better circumstances. Rest easy; you are not subject to investigation, and I do not doubt you. This isn't as uncommon as one would think.” He reasoned. I spat out a laugh at his assumption, but he only continued his spiel. “You see, this case is easier to solve because I happen to know Eren already. Or rather, I knew his father, may he rest in peace. When Eren was younger, about eight years old, his father was killed in a tragic murder. It devastated the boy, as well as all of us who'd worked with him. I was around quite a bit then; his father was a very close friend. Met in college; we actually started our first firm together some thirty years ago.

“But Carla, his widow, well she wasn't very torn up. Many people believe that the man who killed him was contracted by her to do so; I'm one of them. Who else remarries two months after the funeral? Nevertheless, Eren was heartbroken. His mother is a ditz, not very smart, you see. Once she remarried Grisha, well, Eren was 'discovered' to be gay by his new stepfather. From what I heard Eren say back then, he'd merely been talking to his mother about a crush and accidentally let it slip. That's why he made Carla disown him. That was almost two years ago now, and I lost contact with Eren after that.

“I tell you this because Eren was found to be inflicting self-harm in the weeks after the funeral by his school teachers. They demanded that CPS step in, but since he was the step-son of a big shot executive, they never did. I filled out plenty of psychiatric referrals, but they'd always end up in the trash can by the elevator.”

“So you're telling me that Eren has been subject to years of mental instability, and he's just now relapsing?” I asked, gasping for breath. Was I so blind? Eren seemed a bit melancholic sometimes, but he'd been through homelessness and insecurity at seventeen years old; who wouldn't be? Hannes nodded and opened the file clipped to the clipboard. 

“He was muttering up until he went under, and was apologizing to you. From what I gathered, it was stuff ranging from you spending too much money, to taking up your time. While I doubt this is true, I'll guess he's been unable to emotionally cope with someone suddenly taking care of him. What we see as common empathy, and even love, he thinks may be pity or guilt. This isn't your fault, Mr. Levi, but—,”

“Shit,” I sunk into my chair, shaking with a feeling I hadn't felt in years. Anxiety. “No, I know where he got all of that...”

“What do you mean?” he asked, genuinely interested as to why I was rubbing down my face with shaky hands. 

“I'm the vice president for the same insurance company that covers most of Rose and Maria,” I confessed, making shaky, horrified eye contact with Hannes, whose own eyes widened at my words.

“You mean Blue Wings Insurance?” he choked hoarsely, to which I could only nod. On his wall there was a certificate with my company's logo on it; he was a Blue Wings certified doctor. How ironic.

“Yeah,” I thought I may cry, “Eren started interning with us, and one night when he didn't have a ride home, I offered to drive him. When he said he didn't even have a home, I gave him my guest bedroom. I... I was suddenly so enamored with him, I made sure to give him everything I thought he deserved. A phone, computer, clothes; the boy didn't even have a change of damn clothes!” I let my head fall into my hands, defeated. Hannes didn't say anything for a while, I assumed he was writing notes.

“Mr. Levi, as a close family friend of Eren, I want to personally thank you,” he spoke very slowly, and when I rose my head to see him, he had a kind face. Not unlike Eren's. “That boy... he should have been beloved by his parents. A boy who does nothing wrong shouldn't be forgotten, and in place of his father, I thank you. But now I understand where Eren's 'guilt' came from. He has, unfortunately, forgotten what true love is. The sort of love that's not just expensive gifts, though that's surely a part of it; it's the caring part. The room for him to stay in, the bed to sleep in, even the clothes he came here in; they're all apart of something bigger, something he cannot fathom. I do believe that he will change, when he learns that he has someone who truly cares for him, but until then, I do think that his mental state should be cared with tenderly.”

I agreed with Dr. Hannes words, and upon receiving seven copies of the same note—for Eren's seven classes—he was excused from the remainder of his semester, and with one message to Erwin, from work as well; I didn't read the message he sent me earlier, and withing a minute my pocket was vibrating uncontrollably. I took a two week leave myself, and after waiting outside Hannes' office, I was told that Eren was released from surgery and that I could see him.


	7. Truth that Hurts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren comes clean about his past, and though it kills Levi to hear it, he knows he must if Eren ever hopes to recover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I normally don't update twice in one day, but since it killed me to wait and write the chapter, I thought it'd be even harder for you guys to wait. Plus, you've all been real supportive of this, so ya'll deserve a little treat. Don't worry; the story won't get more angsty, I promise.

I walked up three flights of stairs and into a room that greeted me with the sickly smell of hospital grade disinfectant. The room was white and blue with textured walls, and generic paintings on the decorated the blandness. Eren was in a single room, most likely due to the nature of his mental state, and was laid down beside a large window. Outside the snow was blurring by quickly, building up on the panes. Eren lay in a medium sized bed that was a bit too small for him, his arm connected to an IV and the sounds of a heart monitor quietly beeping in the room. Under his hospital gown I could see copious amounts of bandages, and with courage, I lifted up his blanket to find that his legs were covered in them too.

“Oh, Eren,” I croaked as I fell beside him, barely able to put my elbows on the mattress. He looked like something worth reverence before me, raised wholly in white, but I knew that this wasn't the Eren I would ever wish to remember; not the bandaged, sickly one that had broken over a cup. “How could I have done this to you...” I felt it then, and was glad that no nurse was with me. The burning sensation of guilty, hot tears that assailed my eyes. Though I wiped them before they could fall, their memory seared my eyes red. 

“Mr.... Levi...?” Eren crooned slowly. I was shocked; was he supposed to already be awake? I stood quickly and took his face in my hands, kissing his lips a bit too hard at first before I remembered his tender condition. I remedied my mistake with a gentle smooch. I met his eyes, and though his were red and tired, their brilliant hues still shone before me, tearing at my heart. “Where am I...?”

“The hospital, Eren,” the words poisoned me as they came up, and as he woke more and more, his face showed the surprise and revelation of past events. “You just had emergency surgery; the nurse told me you damaged a tendon in your back when... well, they had to patch you up.” He nodded, and searched my face for something that was obviously not there. “What's wrong?”

“Are you angry with me?” I sighed; I'd hoped he wouldn't ask that damn question. I pulled up the chair beside the bed and sat with his hand in mine, taking deep breaths to calm myself. My phone in my pocket was blowing up, but I didn't give a shit.

“Eren,” I strained, “you really scared me. I really thought there, for a good minute, that I'd loose you... That was fear I haven't ever endured. How could I be angry? I'm elated that you're still with me, holding this old hand...” He sniffled, and I ordered him to stay calm, lest he alert the nurses with an abnormal heartbeat. He was running his fingers over mine, and to my pleasure, I felt the cold ring brush against my palm as he did so.

“Did Dr. Hannes talk to you?” He asked this slowly, as if he already knew that I had. I told him that I had, and that he'd shared his family history very willingly with me.

“How come you never told me those things, Eren?” I asked weakly. He shrugged and stared at the ceiling, obviously overcome with something.

“Well, at first I was embarrassed. I mean my mother, the very woman who'd held me as I grew up, tossed me away at the simple request of that man,” his voice turned sharp when he spoke of his step father, “and said that she'd never see me again. Then they went trancing off into Sina, where they knew I'd never be able to chase them.” His face showed all of the signs of deep, searing hurt, but I let him continue. “Levi, I was so convinced that they were in the right to disown me that I thought of making it simpler by just killing myself. I'd actually tried, but Armin's mother caught me; this was when I lived with him during high school.

“But then I met you, and you gave me a home, and clothes, and someone who actually gave a shit whether or not I walked through the door at night, and that... I guess I had buried some stuff a bit too deep, and when I was so overcome with happiness, it snuck right in.” He groaned and looked at his left forearm, and his right hand, before finally looking at me. “I hope you know that I'm not suicidal. I don't even like pain, but when I felt so happy, I felt as if I suddenly just needed to check.” His voice was slightly hoarse, like he was trying to keep from crying while simultaneously trying to be loud enough.

“Check what?” I asked very quietly. He looked with sad, broken eyes.

“If I had killed myself and gone to heaven.”

I nodded like an idiot and choked on my spit. It all made sense. Eren wasn't just a troubled youth; he was extremely smart. Those smarts had saved his life, given him an education, which later led him to me. But he was also young, and naïve in a way that made a toxic combination of angst, love, and genius. I rubbed his hair softly, and assured him of his new reality.

“Eren, I should have told you this sooner, when I first felt it,” I warned. His eyes shot up at me, hopeful in such a beautiful, youthful manner that I felt the need to cradle him. “But when I do these things... It's not some 'wealth guilt' or whatever, it something that makes me happy. I'm not very good at expressing these kinds of things, Eren, but for you I'll try.”

Eren nodded and calmly accepted my proclamation, but when he didn't return it, I began to worry. Had I just scared him off, finally? Was he going to kick me out and demand he never see me again? I could feel my hands shaking until his, much larger than mine, held tightly to them to quell me.

“I understand, Levi,” he whispered, “I would be lying if I said I was whole and right.” He spoke very calmly, and I assumed that he was trying to keep his heart rate down, though the audible beep was a giveaway to his happiness. “I've been broken for a long time, and I don't expect you to pick up all of my pieces; but I know that it's okay to have someone to hold the ones I've already found.” 

I was in shock; this kid was a fucking poet. He assured me of his recovered psyche, but admitted that having a few meetings with a therapist would probably do more help than harm. A nurse soon delivered to me the awful news that family members can only stay in the hospital overnight if they'd had a baby or are in critical condition. I told Eren that I'd be there with his necessities at six the next morning, and gave him a long, passionate kiss goodbye that caused a blush to form on both his and the nurse's cheeks. The drive home was much longer than any distance I'd ever driven before, as was the walk to the lobby, and the elevator ride up to the apartment.

I sat on the sofa in my pajamas with a cup of tea, listening to the late night news forecast about the coming winter storm. I remarked that while I had Eren home I would take the cars to get snow tires put on, and ensure that they had antifreeze. Erwin had called me ten times, and when I finally called him back, I was pleasantly surprised that his concern was primarily on Eren. After I assured him that Eren would be fine, but a little under the weather, Erwin accepted my leave, and wished Eren good health. I also pawed through countless emails of my colleagues, most notably Mike, who was worried that I'd fucked the boy broken. That man was demented.

I couldn't sleep until four in the morning, and woke an hour later, and decided to cut my losses and just take a shower. I packed Eren long socks and thicker pants, a long sleeved thermal, sweater, and coat, plus a scarf and gloves. I put his phone, which I'd charged overnight, in my pocket and checked that the heater would be set at a nice seventy two degrees when we returned. With the duffel bag over my shoulder, I realized that Eren didn't have shows for cold weather. To my surprise a shoe store off the highway was open at this early hour, and I grabbed a pair of black and red snow boots before speeding to the hospital. 

At the hospital I first spoke with Dr. Hannes, who was pleased with Eren's physical state enough to let him go home once his bandages were changed. The issue of insurance had arisen, and I kicked myself in the ass for not adding him to my plan—I work at a fucking health insurance agency for fuck's sake—before simply handing over my credit card information. I made a mental note to make sure I covered Eren's other needs.

“Mr. Levi, I also arranged for an appointment in two days with a colleague of mine, who is a board-certified psychiatric therapist,” he handed me the appointment slip, “he's wonderful, and has extensive experience with younger adults.” I thanked him before going upstairs to see Eren. 

He was awake and making an ugly face when presented with his breakfast; oatmeal with raisins and dried cranberries. He had his glasses on, and I'd forgotten that he even had them; thank goodness he'd had them on when I first brought him here. I laughed and promised him a better breakfast at home, and after his bandages were changed, he went to the corner to get dressed. I was allowed to help him so that he didn't break any stitches; they should have had a nurse do it, however, since I ended up laying him down and dressing him like a baby. Dr. Hannes spoke with Eren while the nurse gave me a large bag filled with gauze and bandages, explaining that they must be changed three times a day, and after he showers.

“If they look inflamed or infected, come back immediately,” she droned on. I took care to listen closely however, lest I miss something crucial. “The stitches on his stomach are dissolvable, so that he'll be able to sit up, but he needs to be careful and not let those bust. The rest will need to be removed in a few days; won't quite be a week, most of them aren't too deep, just very jagged.” I thanked her and gathered Eren's bag up before meeting him and Hannes in the hall.

“Take care, and keep that cold under control,” he smiled and waved us goodbye as we headed downstairs. Eren limped over one crutch due to the sutures on his left leg—he couldn't have two because of the stitches on his left side—and after I assisted him into the car, we finally drove off. Though he asked for various options of junk food, I heartily declined. 

“Not when you're sick,” I ruffled his hair as we drove back to the apartment. 

“I feel better,” he tried to offer, but he knew that I didn't believe him. Once we got home, I called Mike and asked if he'd take the Audi to the shop for tires, and then the Lexus tomorrow. Of course he made some suggestive remarks as to why me and Eren would be home, to which I simply hung up. Once up in the apartment, Eren sighed and looked around, burdened by the bright, snowy sun that was shining in over the horizon. I went to the wall and turned the tint on, and after a few seconds, the room was engulfed in a false darkness. 

“How does eggs and toast sound instead?” I asked. Eren, who was settled with his legs up on the sofa and his back against the arm rest, nodded excitedly. 

“You've never cooked me anything before,” he cackled. I rolled my eyes and grabbed eggs and bread from the fridge before donning a white apron. It was nice to be cooking, especially for Eren. I wasn't any top chef, but at least I could manage breakfast without burning the whole place down. I turned the coffee pot on, and commenced in making him four scrambled eggs, and when I came to the toast, I decided to surprise him. I soaked the bread in egg and milk with sugar and cinnamon, and fried it quickly on the griddle beside the eggs. He clicked through channels on TV, eventually, like always, falling on a cartoon channel. That kid was like an actual child. Once the coffee was done I poured myself a cup, and elected against giving Eren any; he got milk instead. I gathered up the food on a lap tray, and just before leaving the kitchen, poured copious amounts of powdered sugar over the toast.

“Whoa, Levi, that food looks amazing,” he cocked his head as I brought the tray in and set it on the table. He eyed me with curiosity until I ducked under him and brought the recliner out of the sofa. He gasped in surprise and turned slowly, much more comfortable as he leaned back. Once the tray was settled on his lab, I took my coffee from it and collapsed beside him. He ate without abandon, and within ten minutes, his plate was empty. He gave me baby eyes, and any other time I would have laid him out against the floor. But since his condition was so fragile, I instead quietly complied and refilled his plate with food. 

Eren fell asleep no less than twenty minutes after eating. I got a squishy pillow for his head—so he wouldn't get a kink in his neck—and a heavy blanket to keep him warm. While he slept I checked his temperature, which had risen to 102. Guess he wasn't getting any better, though now when he slept, the weight on his shoulders was gone. I did laundry and cleaned the house while Eren slept, and around eleven o'clock, I was forced to wake him up. 

“Gotta change them, sorry,” I smiled as he grumpily sat up, rubbing lazily at his eyes. He let me undress him and move him around, changing the bandages on the many damage sites. I counted, and he had two cuts on his left leg, one on the left side of his ribcage—the most damaging one—two on his right hand, one on his left arm—second deepest—and one in his abdomen, which had the dissolvable stitches, and was incredibly deep. Seven cuts. I rubbed antibacterial gel on the sites, and reapplied the bandages. I also took the opportunity to redress Eren in comfy clothes, and once he was all done, I laid him back on the sofa, and he crashed.

 

Eren was slowly recovering, and within four days, the stitches, with the exception of the dissolvable ones, were all removed. He was still bandaged, but now at least he could move without worrying about yanking on the strings. More importantly, however, Eren went to his first therapy session. I didn't go in despite his wishes, rather, I let him hash out whatever it was they talked about for the two hours. He didn't say much when he was done, but he did say that he enjoyed it, and wouldn't mind going again. 

 

“Levi,” Eren spoke very quietly, much like he had when we first met. I looked up at him over my dinner, the fragrant smell beckoning me to come back. Who'd have thought that I was a decent cook. 

“What's up?” I asked, my mouth still slightly full of food. His beautiful eyes, the ones that I so often found myself staring at, looked at me with a deep longing.

“I wanted to lay down my hands,” he said. I cocked an eyebrow; I think he meant put all his cards on the table, but nevertheless, I understood. “If you have a question regarding... my past, go ahead and ask.” I chocked on my food silently as the severity of his words hit me. This was it. This was the moment I'd secretly been waiting for; the moment Eren finally revealed his hurt. I felt like an idiot getting so worked up.. wait, no I didn't. I was fucking ecstatic that he was about to do this.

“Uh, okay,” I was suddenly very ineloquent, “why don't you tell me about your childhood?” He nodded; I figured a simple start would be best. He took a few more bites before washing them down with milk, and placed his hands atop one another before speaking. 

“Well, I was born on March 30th here in Rose, really close to Sina, actually. I don't have any siblings, so it was just me, mother, and dad. My dad was, well... he was my favorite person. He taught me all the things I needed to know, how to run fast, how to swim, all of it. He died when I was eight years old. People all told me that he'd been killed, and even when I saw him with a nice suit and shiny shoes, I couldn't believe that there were immense amounts of... damage underneath it all. 

“My mother married my stepfather Grisha seventy two days after the funeral. They just so happened to get married on my birthday.” I audibly gasped at that; he simply nodded. “They went off on a vacation then, and when they came back, I saw that I'd lost my mother. She whispered to Grisha whenever they were together, and when she spoke to me, it was always, 'Your father and I,' this or 'Grisha said' that. I hated the first one especially; when most people gain a stepfather, their parent is okay with them discovering what to call them on their own. Not that I immediately hated Grisha at first, but what made me despise that man was that he forced me to call him Dad.

“He pretended to be my actual father, and he wasn't. He drove me to school, and ordered me around. I hated him. But more than that, I hated what he'd done to me and my mother. Sure before dad died me and mother were on decent footing, but after the funeral, she acted as if Grisha was her first husband, my biological father. That's what broke the camel's back.

“They disowned me after I was spoke with my mother on our way to my birthday dinner; the only time I'd been alone with her in years. In an instant, she was just like my old mom, and I let a lot slip. I told her about my newest friends, my initial acceptance to several universities, and unfortunately for me, my crush at the time. I said one simple word: he. I'd been careful to use 'they' or 'their' the entire night, just to keep everything from escalating. But she heard me, and she didn't hesitate to tell Grisha when we got home. They kicked me out that night; thank god Armin's parents let me stay with them until I graduated. Otherwise I'd have been truly homeless.

“Things got harder after high school because Armin's parents were moving. They left to go off on their retirement, and Armin was staying in the university's dorms. He was actually relieved when you took me in; he was always afraid he'd be brought in one day to identify my body.” He shook at the memory. “So that's about it, I mean, you know the rest, since it's all happened here.”

I was speechless, but what's more, I was hurt. I felt as if I'd been personally rejected, and that showed on my face. Eren leaned across the table and laid his large hand over mine, which had somehow formed into a fist.

“Levi, it's alright,” he said softly. My eyes rose up and he smiled into them, softening my iron gaze. “It's my past, and though it's a bit sad, it's all come to make me who I am. I don't regret anything; I don't like regrets. It makes life less enjoyable. If I hadn't been through everything I have, I may not have met you, or even have worked with you. And that's something that would make me extremely sad, Levi, I mean I love—,” 

His eyes grew very large, and he stared at a point far off from me. His tan face seemed to drain color a bit, yet somehow a crimson blush crept across his face. My jaw hung slack as I stared at him; there was no way that this was how this evening was going. We were not going to discuss this. Not now. Not when he'd just spilled his life story before me. 

“Oh my god,” he whispered, finally letting his eyes fall back on mine. “I love you.” It was a statement, yet somehow I thought that he was trying to ask me something. “Levi, I love you!” I didn't know what to say, and he jumped up from his seat and grabbed my face in his hands. “Levi, oh Levi, I love you!” He brought our faces together, and drew out a long, passionate kiss.

“I told you I loved you first,” I whimpered against his lips. He looked at me incredulously, as if I'd just insulted his god. “You were asleep; hell, you even said it back. But I let it slide,” I smirked. He stomped a little bit, and then groaned as he hurt himself. I sighed and picked him up over my shoulder, gingerly placing him onto my sofa. “If it's any consolation, you said it directly first.”

“That's a little better,” he pouted. I kissed him passionately, and he rose up to lay a few on my cheek and forehead. 

“So, we're in love huh? It's barely legal,” I sat up and let Eren sit in my lap. He'd gained a tiny bit of weight, but his youthful metabolism still left him too light in my lap. He snuggled against my chest and sniffed at my hair.

“But it is so fuck it,” I laughed at his curse and flicked the TV on. The snow outside was swirling out of control; so it was actually a blizzard. I thought that the weatherman was just a hopeful schnook. Eren began spouting all sorts of fantastical things, from our first vacations—which had to be in the tropics—to how he wanted to be engaged to. I couldn't find it in my to stop him, so I let the boy continue on in his fantasies, taking special care to remember them. Maybe one day he'd wake up in a plush bed in the Bahamas. 

“Levi?” he said quietly. I looked down and leaned my head by his cheek. “It's your birthday tomorrow.” I nodded and cursed inwardly; Erwin must have told him. 

“Yes it is.”

“Let's go on a date then.” I laughed and rubbed my cheek into his soft hair. 

“If that's what you want.”


	8. Where You Belong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Eren's birthday, and after months of hardship and pain, Levi think's he deserves to spoil his little love a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll made it through all that drama; from here it's smooth sailing. Ha, I made a pun; you'll see. So enjoy all this fluff, ya'll deserve it. Btdubs I'll be updating probably every day because I've finished the story, and I'd like to get it all uploaded before school starts so I don't forget.

The first few months with Eren were action packed and intense. After December's snow turned to severe ice in January, our life cooled as well. Eren was cleared of physical harm, and after his last therapy session, he received a mark of good mental health, and a card to consult in case of future need. Eren went back to school after the winter break, and, unfortunately for him, received a much heavier class load. He had classes only Monday and Wednesday, but when he did go, he had school from seven o'clock in the morning to eleven thirty at night. He was up late doing homework nearly every night, and was starting to show the effects in the form of dark bags under his eyes. I installed a laptop tray in my bathtub—the tub in Eren's bathroom was too small for him—so that he could at least de-stress while doing work.

He was a regular at work now, and Erwin expressed interest in offering him a job after he graduated. That of course made Eren work harder. I soon demanded that weekends were a no work time; the boy was a ghost of his former self. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing; he was so passionate, whether it was when he came home from a particularly hard day of school or a stressful day at work, but he needed to get his rest somewhere.

The most alarming change was his mindset however. Once he was free of what I can only assume was his daunting past, he was so obsessed with the future. He planned his sophomore year of college, and while he was at it, his junior and senior year too. He found that if he worked extra hard, he'd be able to graduate one semester early—with the help of his internship credits—so he reassessed his plans and redid them. 

It seemed as if the weather this winter was punishing the world, but once it thawed into spring, Eren also flowered. It was if he'd finally moved on past the horrors of the past year. So imagine my joy when February turned to March, and his nineteenth birthday came rushing right up. He never brought it up once, so I took the liberty of planning something to celebrate. It was on a Friday, and lucky for me, the next week after was his spring break. What else could I do except plan a little vacation for him? 

It was hard trying to swear his many teachers to silence when I collected his early work—you wouldn't believe how bitchy some teachers get when you ask them to plan ahead—and make sure no one at work ruined it. I had to pack in the dead of night so he wouldn't know, and try and get his own damn suitcase packed too. Lucky for me, I just did that while he was off at school the Thursday before. Although I had to be careful, because if he noticed that he had a week's worth of clothes missing, he'd flip.

This trip turned out to be the funnest thing I'd ever planned, including my own birthday parties as a child. I bought first class plane tickets, and just to fuck with him, a limo ride from the airport to the harbor. It would be my first time in the Northern Tropics of Florida, and though I'd been to Orlando plenty of times, going all the way to Port Canaveral was something I didn't want to leave up to my sometimes, well... poor sense of direction. 

Thursday night, Eren finally spoke up about his birthday. He had his glasses on his nose, like he always did nowadays, but this time his hands were crafting something for what I assumed was his Engineering Art class. Though was leaning more and more towards the arts, he was still stuck in the same major plan his college forced him into; maybe I'd just have to pick up his college bill and let him do what he wanted. That was a plan for another day, however.

“Levi, do you think we could rent a movie for tomorrow night?” he asked, his eyes never lifting above his hands, working dexterously with his pencil. I hadn't noticed for the longest time, as he normally did all of his homework on the computer, that Eren was left handed. What an odd boy.

“Is that really all you want to do?” I nonchalantly offered, sipping my tea. It was killing me, but I refused to drink any coffee so that I'd be able to sleep well. Not that caffeine would be the only factor keeping me from that goal. He nodded and suggested that since he wouldn't have an important birthday until he turned twenty and could legally drink, we didn't need to treat this one like a big deal. “Nah, we can do better than that. We can go out and see one.”

“No, I don't wanna go anywhere,” he whined pathetically as he suddenly flopped onto the sofa, his hair flipping water across us; he'd listened to my light hearted recommendation that he shower tonight: he was so gullible. “Leeeeevi,” he sounded like a child, “don't make me go to school tomorrow.”

“That doesn't sound like you at all,” I chuckled as he huffed like a spoiled brat. Well, I guess I was to blame for that. “How about we just wait and see how you feel in the morning, huh?” He was content at that, and when he finally bid me goodnight and retreated up to his bedroom, I began my planning. He was dead asleep by midnight, so I carried our suitcases downstairs to my awaiting Lexus. It took me all of fifteen minutes, and half of that time was just the elevator ride down. Once I was back up in the apartment I checked my carry on and ensured everything was there; plane tickets, boarding passes for the ship and plane, receipt for the limo ride, everything.

I was like a silent ninja as I snuck into Eren's room and collected his laptop and charger, phone charger, glasses case, hell even an extra change of underwear; you never know what's gonna happen. I set it outside of his room before finally collapsing onto my bed around one o'clock. I'd have to be awake by five o'clock to be showered and dressed by five thirty, and then get Eren all dressed—I elected to try and keep him asleep as best I could—and get us all packed up in the car by at least six o'clock. Our flight left at eight, and it was a decent thirty minute drive to the airport, so then we'd have plenty of time to go through security. I snuggled into my sheets as I congratulated myself on my ingenious plan, and softly fell asleep.

 

God, I almost screwed the whole plan over, but damn did I pull through. I showered extremely fast so that I could make up time, and brushed my teeth as I dressed. It was already six o'clock, and Eren would be waking up soon; no doubt his internal clock will jolt him up, since I turned his actual one off. I managed to get all prepped and slung my backpack over my shoulder before running into Eren's room and quietly pulling the sleeping giant out of bed. 

“Mm... Levi...? What're you doing...?” he was a sleepy, mumbling mess, and it was fucking adorable. Nevertheless, I undressed him and got him into a pair of jeans, a thin collared shirt and a sweater, and just pulled a pair of socks onto his feet. 

“Nothing, love,” I kissed his brow, and that made him turn all gooey as he partially fell back asleep. I locked every window or possible way anyone could get in and turned the Auto Light on; a fancy little feature that lit up certain rooms at night and even through the early morning to give the illusion that someone was home. Not that I needed it in my apartment, but what can I say, I'm paranoid. 

I grabbed his sneakers by the door and also his backpack, and then tested my strength. I picked him up, and though he was heavier than he was a few months prior, he was still grotesquely skinny. I planned to remedy that soon. The trek down to the car was long as my grown arms got tired, and I made a mental note to go to the gym more regularly. I strapped him into the passenger seat and laid his shoes by his feet. I patted my pockets down, and was relieved to find his cell phone wedged in there; somewhere in my stupor I'd grabbed it. Good, because I was not in the mood to run back upstairs. 

Once we got onto the road, everything was smooth sailing. No one was out driving this early, just like most mornings when I drove Eren to school; most people in Rose didn't go to work until at least seven o'clock. We arrived at the airport at seven o'clock even, and to my chagrin, I had to wake Eren when we arrived at security. Don't ask me how I carried his giant ass and our suitcases, but I did it.

“Levi,” he murmured as a security guard patted him down—I was glaring at him the entire time, making sure those hands stayed where they needed to be—and staggered over to me, padding about in his socks. “What're we doing here?”

“It's a surprise,” I kissed his chin as we walked towards our terminal. The damn kid had grown taller, and now I only came up to his shoulder. “Happy birthday, by the way.” He smiled a giant, cheesy smile as we sat by our gate. He quickly fell back asleep, leaning his head on my shoulder as I scrolled through my emails. 

Up until this point, I think that my relationship with Eren hadn't felt real. Sure, he was always with me, and we sometimes slept together, and sometimes fucked each other, but in all the hustle of his young life, I somehow came around to the realization that to him, this may just be a stage. I was old, so much older than him, and though it hurt me to say it, I didn't know if he'd actually want to stay with me forever. He still wore my ring, and he always told me he loved me, and as much as I wanted it to permanent, I couldn't shake the feeling that it just wasn't to be. But now as we sat waiting for our plane, I felt my chest overfilling with something that was odd; a feeling that I wasn't entirely familiar with. Pride. 

People complimented me on my sleeping beauty, offering me little anecdotes on how they first met their own husband or wife, and though I told them that we weren't married, or even engaged, I got the oddest looks. “You're not? Yet you go on vacation? Oh, how romantic!” People were very interested in Eren, most likely due to his slight height, and when he finally woke up, they all saw his eyes.

“Oh my,” a woman holding an infant child cooed when she beheld the spectacle. “Oh honey, you know what they say about different colored eyes, don't you?” Eren sleepily shook his head; I listened very careful to make sure she stayed on her boundaries. Though she was there with her wife, so I don't think that I needed to worry. “They say that people with different eyes carry something over from their past life with them; that golden eye of yours must have belonged to someone special, long ago.” Eren was fascinated with that wives' tale, and mussed over it for the remainder of our waiting period. 

We finally boarded the plane, and I was happy that the air bus had rows of two seats; I didn't want to deal with anyone else but Eren. The new seats also had privacy barriers, and I folded the two between me and Eren away and mine out, so that I created an alcove with a small entrance way from the aisle. The flight attendant gave me a small shot of brandy and, to my surprise, she gave Eren one too.

“Ma'am, he's nineteen,” I offered her the cup back. She shook her head and pointed a small finger at Eren, who I hadn't realized was shaking a bit in his seat. 

“I been doing this a long time, sir, and I know a first time flier when I see one,” she instructed me to keep the drinks. “They're to calm him down. Don't want any stress on my flight.” She winked away, leaving me with the alcohol. I guess it could be worse.

“Eren, are you afraid?” He shook his head, but I knew he was lying. “Have you flown before?” To his dismay, he couldn't bring himself to speak. I leaned over and brought him to my lap, kissing him tenderly. “Aw, I'm sorry. I guess I didn't consider that. It'll be okay; it's the safest way to travel.” He nodded, and finally cleared his throat.

“It's not that I'm afraid we'll crash; I heard that your ears pop really painfully on planes.” I would have laughed had I not known that Eren was truly worried; this kid was adorable. I pulled a pack of gum from my pocket and dropped half it's contents into Eren's hand. 

“When the plane first takes off the ground, we chew it,” he listened carefully to my instructions, “make your jaw real big when you do it. It won't stop the popping—they have to pop—but you'll feel it less. Plus, gum is a good stress reliever, and I think you might need it...” his hands were taught on mine, and after a few more minutes of quiet kisses and consoling, I was forced to slid him into his own seat as we buckled up and turned our phones off, and Eren kicked back one of the shots. 

The first part was priceless. Eren clenched his hands onto mine like he was giving birth, and he chewed through the gum so quick he had to chew three more pieces before we finally rose up all the way. I was afraid that he was going to scream when we first hit turbulence, but he held out well, simply shut the shutter on the window. He soon calmed once we steadied and the pilot assured us of our final ascent, and that we'd be in Orlando within four hours.

“Orlando, huh?” Eren asked, his teeth stuck together by the gum. I nodded, but told him nothing more. That of course got him all angry, but when I reminded him of his laptop and work, he quickly pulled his backpack out and got to work. That was enough for me, and I elected to take a short nap. That short nap lasted as long as the flight, and Eren woke me once we landed; he'd gotten used to flying well enough. 

Orlando was just as hot and sticky as I always remembered it. Eren fit right in with his tan skin, but I stood out like a regular tourist. Our limo was waiting with a large sign that read EREN & LEVI, with Eren's name written in fancy, rainbow letters; the limo service had actually listened to my request. He jumped at the sight of our names, and he begged the driver to let him keep it. Once I claimed our bags we were off, and slightly ahead of schedule. The ship didn't leave until one thirty, and it was only noon. It'd take forty five minutes to get to the port—the driver swore he'd get us there on time even if he wrecked the damn car—and as long as we had our tickets out by one, we'd get the priority boarding that came with our tickets. 

“Okay Levi, so you've brought me across the country to Orlando, where are we going?” he finally asked, his knees bouncing in excitement. The limo was a tad small, so Eren slouched in his seat to fit better. 

“Like I'd tell you.” I watched as his face fell in disapproval, and he begged me to release the information. “You'll see when we get there, now won't you?”

 

We arrived at the port at twelve forty six; the driver would get to keep his fancy car. Once we unloaded our suitcases and donned our backpacks, we headed for the shipyard. The large venues for the several cruise liners that used the port were lined up, and he asked me incessantly which one would be ours. I finally stopped at one with a large, green, horned horse for a logo, and his eyes widened at the vast ship beyond us. 

“Levi, that boat is huge, it's bigger that our block,” he gawked in amazement. I couldn't help but chuckle at his childish fascination; plus he'd called it “our” block, and that was just icing on top. I handed a stewardess our boarding passes, and she allowed us in, much to the chagrin of the many waiting around us. We walked straight through security with haste, and once we reached the end of the dock, we crossed a narrow metal bridge leading us into the ship. 

“So, we're going somewhere by boat now?” he begged. I pushed him forward as a hostess took out passes and lead us to our stateroom. A bonus of being filthy rich is in cases where everyone else has to wait, I get to go on ahead first. So, our stateroom was already finished, while after everyone boarded at one thirty, they'd be locked out of their rooms until at least two. A steward caught up with us with our suitcases, and after rising in a glass elevator, we arrived on the thirteenth deck at the stern, and were given our room keys. 

I opened the door and was not disappointed. It was bright, what with a whole wall of nothing but windows showing a pretty dismal sight of the port behind us. Once we got out to sea, however, the sight would be wonderful. There was a parlor living room and a small kitchenette—really a glorified bar—and two bedrooms. Not that the smaller one would be used. 

“Oh my gosh, Levi, this is—,”

“A cruise, yes,” I cut him off and tackled him onto the large, cushioned sofa. I kissed him repeatedly, and though he kept telling me to stop, I could tell through his giggles and blushing that me meant no such thing. He kissed me hard before rolling us over and gazing into my eyes. “To the Bahamas.”

“Oh Levi, you're spoiling me, this is really—,”

“Shush,” I pressed my lips onto his, “it's my birthday present. Do you like it?” He exclaimed loud, sweet nothings as he attacked my face, and it didn't even feel like an hour had passed when we heard the large foghorn wail. “We have to go do the safety drill,” I pulled him up and carried him bridal style. “Shall we?” He simply nuzzled into my chest as we headed for the lifeboat deck.

 

That night was the most romantic night of my life. We ate a formal dinner by candlelight and even swung into one of the bars—a champagne bar, not a beer one—and caught a few slow songs before retreating to our room. I found Eren to be a very clumsy dancer; I guessed that his left hand also brought two left feet. On our stateroom's balcony we stood and watched a decent sunset over the gentle wake of the ships rudders, and in that moment, I felt like I was in a vacation commercial. Eren leaned over me with his arms wrapped about my shoulders, and my hands held at his shirt's sleeves. 

“Levi, this is something I never thought I'd see,” he sounded a bit teary eyed, and I brushed it off as sentimental emotion. “It's as beautiful as the pictures.”

“Wait, what?” I turned to him. “Are you talking about the ocean? Have you never seen the ocean?” It was a rhetorical question, but I was nonetheless shocked when he shook his head. 

“We never took vacations before,” he whispered, closing his eyes as the gentle rush of water below us lulled the scene peacefully. “It's like I'm being washed away.”

“You better not.” I turned and kissed him against the railing, and when I pulled away, I found something completely shocking.

“What's wrong?” he asked, his eyes wide as he searched my face for a hint. I held his face still and gazed into his eyes closely. 

“Eren,” I gasped, “I finally figured out what color your eye is...” I turned him to the reflective window, and he himself was a bit surprised by the sight. 

“Damn, Levi, I'm hot.” He turned and laughed, but that comment had gone a little too far, and I quickly scooped him up and headed for the bedroom. “Levi, on a boat? Won't someone hear?” I slammed the door shut as I laid him down on the large bed. 

“I hope so.”


	9. On Top of the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Eren enjoy their time on their vacation, and after what seemed like the perfect trip, retire to their old lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is so fluffy I lose it while writing; but it's worth it! So final chapter will be updated tomorrow evening. Thanks again for reading! <3

I watched Eren splash in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean for hours while I sat in the shade, snapping a few pictures and goading him on. He found colorful fish and shells in the water, and against my wishes, he dragged me in with him to see who could swim deepest. I won, but only because I sink like a rock; poor Eren had to come drag me out. It was amazing to see him so happy, and the days passed so quickly that I couldn't believe it when we boarded the ship for the last time. We were near the farthest reaches of the Caribbean, so it would be a nice two days before we arrived back at the port.

“Levi, I'm glad I got to see the ocean with you,” he sighed one evening, completely wiped out from learning to snorkel. He was only in his boxers and a baggy pair of shorts, with his tanned chest exposed for my eyes to drink in. Though he'd only been nineteen for a few days, Eren seemed different in my mind; maybe now that I could say that he's almost twenty, I'd be more comfortable around him. Not that the age difference actually ever bothered me, but telling people that my boyfriend is eighteen when I'm clearly not a day younger than thirty normally doesn't earn me the sweetest looks.

“I'm glad you enjoyed it,” he crawled across the bed to where I was changing in front of the mirror. He pinched at my ass, and I playfully swatted his hand away. “C'mon you can't get horny yet, we still have to go to dinner.” He mussed at his hair and flopped backwards, his feet swinging up in the air as he acted over dramatically. 

“I don't wanna dress up,” he whined. I laughed and threw his dress pants over him. He groaned as he rose and stood on the bed, despite my chastising him not to. “If I have to change, you have to watch!” He was doing a little dance now as he let his shorts fall, and his reflection did him no justice. I turned to watch, leaning against the dresser with my tie around my neck. Fuck, this kid was gonna make me cave, and we couldn't be late to dinner. Nevertheless, I watched him slowly—excruciatingly slow—pull his pants on, and how his ass stuck out when he slid his legs in. I rewarded him for his show with a firm smack, which caused him to topple over and collapse onto the large bed. 

“You're a dork, now get dressed, I'm starving,” I laughed, turning to finish tying my tie. He stared at me with pouty, adorable eyes, and as much as I wanted to leave and eat, I supposed that we could always order room service. Then again, a nice hot sit down dinner sounded better, and I'm sure Eren could handle a quickie. I turned tossing my abandoned tie onto the love seat beside the bed before tackling him down. He giggled quietly as I unbuttoned his shirt, biting gently at his neck. “This will be quick,” I hissed against his hot skin, “so don't get pouty.” He agreed, and allowed me to work a hand into his pants. 

“Ah, Levi,” he cooed as I pulled him against my chest, turning him to face the same direction as I did. On the edge of the bed I then pushed up and sat us in the love seat, perfectly before the mirror. Eren panicked as he watched himself be played with, begging I move. 

“No,” I growled against his burning shoulder. Perhaps he'd gotten a bit sunburned. “I want you to see how sexy you look when you finish.” He squirmed as I pulled his pants down, and his long hardness was exposed. I pumped him hard and tight, and whispered hot, steaming words into his ear as I nibbled roughly. His fingernails dug at my knees as he convulsed in my lap, his gorgeous eyes rolling up as he bit his lip. 

“Levi, I'll make a mess,” he gasped out in a hurry. I kissed his cheek and rose a hand to his chin, angling him so he could see the mirror. I could barely be seen under his giant form, but, c'est la vie. 

“And I'll lick it up,” I watched as he began shaking at those words, and he started quivering in my hand. He was right; he would make a mess. Right when I saw the first bit of his cum drip out, I angled him up a bit, and pumped him so hard it splattered against his white shirt. His face was priceless; every time he finished he resembled a god being pleasured, and it made me feel invincible, being the one to make this god orgasm. He sat shyly in my lap, and though he offered me many sweet kisses, I merely turned him around, and lapped at his chest through his shirt. He grumbled as I bit a nipple, and attempted to push me off.

“Levi, you're so mean,” he couldn't help but laugh when I rubbed my mouth, acting as if I'd just had my Last Meal. I kissed him passionately before flopping him on the bed, tearing his shirt off as I did so.

“Don't pretend you don't like it,” I called over my shoulder as I tossed him an unsoiled black button up. “And please hurry; I want to have a steak tonight.”

 

For any lovers, I'll definitely recommend taking a vacation. You can live together for an eternity, but once you leave your house and go away for even a weekend, you pick up on a lot of that person's little quirks; the sort of things you don't really care about, but what truly makes a person tick. I found out that Eren absolutely hates corn, as discovered when our steaks came with grilled corn on the cob one night. He also adored raspberries; when the waiter brought us a cheesecake covered in the fresh morsels he devoured each and every one—from both of our plates—without a moment's hesitation. He was a lightweight when it came to alcohol, such as when I let him have one glass of champagne at dinner, and I nearly had to carry him back. Fun fact, though: if someone gets drunk on a boat, they walk completely straight, since the ship is already rocking pretty hard.

We went to bed at midnight every night and woke up around ten o'clock every morning to the bright Caribbean sun shining onto us, and it never ceased to make me imagine this as a lifestyle. Eren was glowing; his face showed no signs of anyone who had been abused and forgotten, and even the bags beneath his eyes were starting to lift. He devoured four meals a day, and I was glad that when we got off the boat and he crawled into the limo, I saw a little gut sticking out beneath his shirt. Granted it'd be gone in a week, but at least I knew that he was making an attempt. 

The flight home was so much quicker than the one there, but this time Eren was the one who slept the whole way. He was excited to be home, but he only had one more day of break before he had to go back to school, and he hadn't gotten a bit of homework done while we were on the ship. Who could? From scuba diving and snorkeling—both activities I restrained from—to hiking and zip-lining, how could anyone expect to get any work done?

Once we arrived at the airport back in Rose, I felt as if I'd been gone for a long time. Not necessarily gone from home, but gone from my former self; I took days off of work often now, just to spend a little time with Eren. Granted, as an executive I don't really do much work other than administrative decisions—company policies, business agreements, etc.—and I was able to leave often, I never really had a reason not to go to work. But now...

Eren was my love. Nineteen and practically a child, I had fallen so deep for him it seemed impossible to see a way of life without him anymore. My apartment had a few pictures of us, and after this trip, it would have a ton more. I had rearranged a little bit, and somehow, my usually stark white apartment was filled with accents of color I didn't even know existed. His door had a wooden sign reading EREN hanging on the outside, as if he were a child marking his territory. I couldn't imagine having to walk into that apartment and not have Eren right beside me.

“I got you something,” I remembered suddenly, reaching into my wallet and pulling out the shiny key I'd had made almost two weeks ago. His eyes brightened and he graciously thanked me, stating something about how this must mean I trust him; no duh I trusted him. 

“Actually Levi, I got you something too,” he eyed me shyly as we retrieved our luggage and headed to the car. I raised an eyebrow at him; he obviously meant he made me something, since he couldn't very well buy anything without my knowledge. “It's at home though, so you'll have to wait.” I laughed softly and agreed as we packed all of our things in the trunk, and tiredly climbed into my awaiting, chilly car. It seemed like only five minutes later we were in the oh so familiar parking garage of my apartment building. It always made me sad to bring Eren to this concrete fortress; maybe I'd buy a house with an outside drive way for us one day.

We eventually rose up in the elevator, and after a terribly long walk to the front door, Eren excitedly used his new key to let us in. The apartment smelled stale, but after we went around lighting candles—candles Eren had picked out, obviously—and opened a few windows, the place soon freshened up. I simply left my suitcase and backpack on the floor in my room before going back downstairs. Eren was waiting with something behind his back on the sofa, and though I tried to peek, his large form and big hands kept it hidden from me. 

“Alright, what is this surprise?” I collapsed beside him, kicking my socked feet onto the coffee table. He had a steady blush on his face, and I could tell that this wasn't just some silly gift. He held it out, and I could tell from the way his hands shook that he wanted me to take it. It was a wooden board, probably ten inches long and six wide, a nice little piece with contoured cutting along the edges. It had a thick cord stapled to the back on either side, acting like a hanger. I looked on its face and felt the painful sting of sweet tears.

Inscribed in deep and beautiful woodwork were the words LEVI & EREN, with my name in beautiful calligraphy, and Eren's in a nice fitting bold face. It had floral patterns engraved as well, and though I knew that it had to be homemade, I couldn't believe that he'd made it.

“Eren, this is very beautiful,” I was astounded as he began spilling the beans about his Engineering Art class, which he said was mostly painting and sculpting, had a wood working section that most people gave up to pursue more obscure arts like glass blowing or craftsmanship. He instead dedicated three weeks to hand lettering and designing the patterns, and eventually engraving the board itself.

“It was really stressful, they only give you one board for free, and I didn't want you to know so I couldn't mess up,” he rubbed his head, his blush shining as his pride radiated over me. 

“This really is something,” I was so entrapped with the board, I found myself rising up and grabbing a nail and hammer, marching upstairs and straight down the hall, before nailing it directly into my bedroom door, showing off the contents of the room. 

“Levi, I thought you'd put it on the wall or something—,”

“It's to show where we live, right?” I asked. He nodded slowly, his blush slowly fading as his face drained a bit of color. God I loved messing with this kid. “Then it will show who sleeps here.” He stood over me for maybe, half a second, before tackling me onto the floor, showering me with appreciative kisses. 

“Oh, Levi, I get to sleep with you from now on? Honestly? Oh, I love you!” he cried over and over as I tried to get him up, only to find that he was really crying.

“You're killing me,” I sighed, picking him off of the floor and sitting us both at the top of the stairs. “You get excited over every little thing, you know.”

“I can't help it, you just make every little thing seem so huge!” He was clinging onto me like a child, and we ended up sitting up there for an hour, discussing new bed sets we should get to accommodate us, or how the shower arrangements would work in the morning. “Wait, what will we do with my room then?”

“It'll be where you sleep when I'm mad at you,” I spoke so fast, Eren nearly started wailing before I could tell him I was joking. “How about we just see what we need it for, huh?” That made him happy, and after a few more moments of tears and consoling, he finally rose to shower. I left to do the same, and I laughed when we both emerged in our pajamas. 

“You've got a lot of homework, huh?” I asked. Eren had his glasses on his nose again, which made me happy; he had barely worn them during the vacation, but I assumed that was because he didn't want them breaking. He nodded as he started typing away, checking the wall clock for the remaining time. It was only about two o'clock, so he head a good eight hours before he'd finally collapse. Plus, he had all day tomorrow, if he could get his sleep schedule back.

“I'll make lunch,” I called lazily over to him. He didn't say anything, and I chalked it up to his being immensely busy. I simply made him a plate full of grilled cheese sandwiches coupled with a soda; something he could eat a lot of while still using his hands. He kissed me on the nose when I gave him his food, and happily went back to typing aggressively on the keyboard. As I eyed the ring on his hand, I reclined into the sofa happily, and finally turned my phone back on, ready to face the brunt of my absence.


	10. What We Call Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi recollects on his life with Eren, and the important steps they are prepared to take.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we are. The bittersweet end. What was supposed to be a quick, two-shot turned into a full on story. I want to thank each and every one of who who've read it, and supported me through kudos, comments, and views. You all rock <3

Eren was lighter than he ever was. He was also a pretty big pain in my ass, since he was regaining what I assumed to be his former attitude, that of a clocky, slightly arrogant teenager. He grew taller too, which made me feel more and more like a child beside him. His face shone like the sun; by the time spring was in full swing he was as tan as a foreigner; it made me question his German roots. Nevertheless, when I noticed that we'd already entered May, a serious, life threatening urge crawled across my skin. Eren finished his first year of college, and though he'd finally accepted Erwin's offer of employment on the basis that he finish school, his future seemed to be incredibly set. Not that mine wasn't...

No, mine wasn't. I loved Eren, and he loved me, and now that his life was finally that which he deserved, and I mean truly, honestly what he really needed, it felt wrong that I wasn't manning up for him. He wasn't so frail now, but I believe that the damage from his youth had left permanent scars in his soul; he'd picked up every piece of himself that he could, but some were just too sharp to ever be handled. I counted myself lucky that he was so whole now, and never once thought that he was anything less than perfect, even with a few shards gone.

So, imagine my surprise when Eren came to me with a felt box, and sunk to one knee before me at dinner in full view of the whole fucking restaurant. He opened it to reveal a gold band covered in a single row of diamonds, not unlike my mother's old wedding band. His eyes were strong as they stared me down, leaving me speechless as he strongly spoke a well practiced speech; he blew my previous affair out of the water.

“Levi, will you marry me?” He wore a slightly cocky smile on his face as he knelt beside me, nearly as tall as I was sitting. I could barely bark out an approval as he slid the cool ring on his finger. I caught a glimpse of my old present on his hand, and after he was content with how mine fit, he moved the ring off of his middle finger and slid it onto his ring finger. Sly bastard, all of his fingers were big enough to wear the damn thing.

“You,” I couldn't speak as the crowd about us applauded, and we shared a heartfelt kiss. 

“What, you upset? You always beat me to everything; this was the one thing I had to beat you to.” He smiled, and then I lost it. It was a half laugh, half cry sort of noise, and though I was smiling like a fucking idiot, the tears running down my face didn't seem to accurately convey my emotions. He'd honestly beat me to it, and though I wanted to kick myself in the ass, it struck a chord in me. We left the restaurant then, and went to a park clear across Rose. 

“Levi, are you upset that I proposed to you? I mean, you are sort of the man between us,” We sat on a bench near a coy pond, and though we'd been there only once before, it somehow felt so familiar and comforting to be sitting there.

“I don't think I'm capable of being angry at you,” I choked out. “I didn't think you'd ever do that.”

“Call me a romantic,” he smirked and kissed my forehead. “I wanted to make sure we were married before the summer started; that way we could be June brides!”

“Idiot, we're men, men aren't brides.” He didn't like that response, and merely kept going.

“I say we're June brides,” he huffed, “and besides, getting married in June is good luck. So I was thinking June 20th? That's a good day for me.” I laughed at his joke, and though he kept speaking, I couldn't really focus on his words. To say that I was shocked would be a lie; I knew that Eren and I would be married one day. It just seemed so inevitable to me, and I was glad that he thought so too. Granted, I was fine with never marrying, so long as he always stayed with me. But people had a stronger need for permanence when they're younger, and if what Eren needed was two rings on both our fingers, then that's what he'd get. 

Not that I was completely happy without it either.

 

I end our story with where our actual life began. We were married on June 21st, in a garden close to the Rose-Sina border. Our close friends were there, mostly mine, but Eren's blonde friend Armin and his girlfriend, plus a few of his other friends—including a very angry black haired girl who I assumed had liked Eren—were in attendance. I received a short note from Eren's mother—haphazardly scrawled onto a piece of yellow note paper, as if they were in a hurry—that she was excited that he was marrying, but that she would not be “allowed” to go. I decided not to tell Eren until long after the ceremony; he was so jubilant over the smaller details, from what we'd wear to what cake we'd eat, that I couldn't bring myself to ruin it with such a shitty mother. He did receive a congratulations card from them, however, with a stoic remark from his stepfather: “Glad you found someone to love.” Though I could tell that Eren was upset, he didn't let it bother him too much.

We slept together every night, and though it pained me, we woke every morning and headed out together. I bought Eren a shiny red Lexus as his wedding present, as much as I hated it; I would miss the countless car rides together. But as a part of my own personal vows, I had to release a bit of my stubborn control, and accept the fact that Eren wasn't my child. Eren was illuminated by the gift, even taking it out on our wedding night. I did, however, insist that we always drive to work together. He didn't seem bothered by it.

Further down the road, Eren graduated college—one semester early, as planned—and was hired on as an executive assistant at the company; my executive assistant, to be clear. He kept up his passion in art as a simple hobby; every so often he'd lock himself away to do digital paintings in the dark, or he'd merely doodle in a sketchbook as we watched TV. I found myself watching cartoons on a daily basis, and though I encouraged Eren to perhaps pursue a career in the arts, he only shook his head.

“I don't need it to be my job; then I'd hate it,” he'd always say, his eyes never leaving the page, and his glasses never moving from their eternal spot upon his nose. And I would merely laugh as I continued to scroll through the results of our house search, ruffling his soft brown hair, and breathe in the scent that was, and forever would be, my Eren.


End file.
